Benefits of Journaling

Some people find journaling appealing while others think it sounds like an incredibly boring activity. If you don’t currently write in a journal regularly, you might want to reconsider as it is an easy form of self-care.  

There are numerous benefits to recording your thoughts, life, and aspirations on a daily basis.  Journaling can help your memory, problem-solving ability, achievement, emotional health, and even your physical health.

Consider these benefits:

1. 1. 1. A journal serves as a record of your life. Have you ever thought back on your high school or college days and thought, “What was his name?” Or have you ever wondered if a particular event happened in 1996 or 1997? A journal is a useful way to record the significant events in your life. 
      2. A journal can be cathartic. When you get the tough stuff out on paper, you feel better. Journaling gives your emotional health a quick boost.
      3. You view your challenges in a new way. Things look different in your head than they do on paper or on the computer screen. It’s a little less personal when you can see it. You might find that many of your challenges aren’t as challenging as you first thought.
      4. You can see your progress. When you record your thoughts and your life, they’re right there in front of you. It’s easy to see how much your life is, or isn’t, progressing. Just looking back at your old entries can tell you a lot.
         
      5. You will progress. When you record the most important happenings for the day, you’ll start to make new things happen. You’ll be embarrassed or annoyed with yourself if you keep recording the same old boring stuff each day. You’ll do new things in order to have something interesting to write about.

Journaling can also be electronic.

6. You’ll achieve more. Studies have shown that just writing down goals significantly increases the likelihood of increasing them.

7. Journaling organizes your thoughts and improves your problem-solving abilities. You can clear some of the clutter out of your head when you journal, and your subconscious can begin working on a solution to a challenge.

8. Your memory will improve. If you reflect on your life at the end of the day, and record it, you’ll be much more likely to remember it. It’s a great workout for your brain and an effective way to remember more of your life.

9. You’ll be in good company. Many famous people kept journals. Oprah Winfrey, George Patton, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, Marie Curie, and Mark Twain are just a few that believed in the power of journaling.

10. You learn about yourself. When you keep a journal, you quickly see your behavioral patterns and tendencies.

11. You can leave them to your children. Depending on the types of things you choose to write about, you might want to leave your journals to your children or other family members.

12. Journaling can lead to improved health. One study at the University of Auckland showed that writing in a journal can lead to faster wound healing and minimize the symptoms of several ailments, including asthma and irritable bowel syndrome.

Consider using pen and paper instead of a computer for your journal. While using a computer can be more convenient, writing engages your mind or brain at a higher level.  It takes real effort to put pen to paper.

There are so many benefits to keeping a journal, not giving it a chance would be a shame. Try journaling for a full month, make it your own,  then make an evaluation. Decide for yourself if you want to continue. A journal is a great way to organize your thoughts and record your life.  

Lastly, I always tell my clients to just write.  Do not worry about spelling or grammar.  This is for your eyes only.  If you’re concerned about who might read what you write… burn it or shred immediately afterwards. But most importantly, just write.