Journaling can be a polarising activity; some people find it appealing while others think it sounds like an incredibly boring activity. However, if you don’t currently write in a journal regularly, you might want to reconsider. There are numerous benefits to recording your thoughts, life, and aspirations daily.
Journaling can help your memory, problem-solving ability, achievement, emotional health, and even your physical health.
Here are just some of the benefits of keeping a journal:
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 event happened in 1996 or 1997? A journal is a useful way to record the significant events in your life.
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. It is also proven that journaling is an incredible stress management tool – try establishing journaling as a pre-bedtime meditation habit to help you unwind and de-stress
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, or the solution isn’t as impossible as you had anticipated.
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.
You will start to see goodness come from gratitude
When you record the things you are grateful for, you will start to make and see new things happen. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.
You will achieve more
Studies have shown that just writing down goals significantly increases the likelihood of increasing them.
Journaling organises 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.
Your memory will improve
If you reflect on your life at the end of the day, and record it, you will 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.
It will give you a mood boost
A unique social and behaviour outcome of journaling is this: it can improve your mood and give you a greater sense of overall emotional well-being and happiness.
You learn about yourself
When you keep a journal, you quickly see your behavioural patterns and tendencies. Part of this is taking the time to not just write in your journal but also read it back after some time. I am always encouraged and slightly mortified when I go back and reread my journals from years ago.
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. Think Ellis Grey on Greys Anatomy imparting all her wisdom to her children all through her journals – okay some of it might be a bit full on, but the point is they can become a great family heirloom, particularly if you write about life lessons or experiences.
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 minimise the symptoms of several ailments, including asthma and irritable bowel syndrome as well as lessen symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
Journaling is good for you — physically, mentally, and emotionally. But what if, like many of us, you find yourself stuck, staring at a blank page? Well first, ditch the guilt of not being consistent or instantly motivated. Simply start where you are. If you need to initially just write a single line or detail the specifics of what you had for breakfast, do that. Don’t preoccupy yourself with managing perfect grammar, or spelling. Just write. This is for you. Remember: You don’t have to be Shakespeare.
Go ahead, grab one of those Kmart books or another fancier option and set aside a dedicated space and time for journaling. And for now, put aside the screens when journaling — writing by hand stimulates and trains the brain in a way digital communication doesn’t.
My top tip? If you are looking to better your health and well-being, keep a journal.