Journaling is a common and popular outlet for managing mental health, sparking creativity, and remembering events in one's life. There are many different reasons why people keep journals and all of them are beneficial.
Benefits of keeping a journal
1. Organizes your thoughts and emotions
We can use specific journals for different aspects such as goal setting, expressing gratitude, analyzing dreams, processing emotions, and the list goes on! Journaling helps many people keep track of and make sense of their thoughts and emotions.
2. Facilitates problem solving
Writing down problems and life situations that are upsetting can help you to gain perspective on them. If they are situations within your control, oftentimes, one can come up with solutions more easily on paper. You can write out pros and cons of each solution thoroughly and choose the one that feels best. You can then create a plan to put the solution in place and reflect on your progress as you go.
3. Relieves stress
Writing down your emotions can provide a sense of relief as it helps you to process them. It allows you to express any feelings that may be causing you anxiety or frustration instead of keeping them bottled up inside.
4. Encourages self-reflection
Daily journaling allows us to reflect on our day, express our gratitude, or become aware of our triggers. The more we journal the more we become in-tune with our thoughts and emotions. We can use journals to reflect on our growth over a period of time.
5. Helps with memory
Were you ever told in school that writing down your notes will help you remember them? It works the same with journaling! You are more likely to retain events in your life if you have written them down.
Do you want to start journaling but don't know where to start? Download this self-care journaling prompts tip sheet for a list of questions that will get your pen on to the paper.
Perfectionistic tendencies can make journaling challenging or make it less likely that you will get started. When you begin journaling, try not to worry about grammar, spelling, how much you write, or what you write. Let your thoughts flow from your head down onto the paper without judgment.