7 Remarkable Benefits of Keeping a Journal
Journaling is the written record of our daily actions and thoughts. Through journaling, we can keep track of our everyday life. It’s a place to pour down our thoughts, emotions, and feelings and channel them into a healthy outcome.
The practice of keeping a journal isn’t new; it goes back to hundreds of years where people used to keep their daily records, with the Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius being one of them. Other visionaries who benefitted from journaling practice include Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Mark Twain, Charles Darwin, and many more.
7 benefits of keeping a journal
Journaling is a healthy lifestyle habit to improve ourselves, to deal with our overwhelming emotions, to self-reflect, and many more. Journaling can have several benefits; here are seven reasons why you should start journaling:
1. Keeps our life organized
Journaling keeps record of our regular activities and helps us to keep them in order. It can assist in keeping track of our daily patterns and provide room for improvement. Journaling lets us dump all our ideas in a single place and keep everything organized.
2. Encourages us to achieve goals
We are more likely to achieve our goals if we put them down on paper. We can reflect on our past successes and failures and easily track our goals through journaling. Writing down ideas and targets in journal entries can help track them down later.
3. Reduces stress and depression
With expressive writing, we can achieve emotional and psychological healing. It can help us reduce stress and boost mental health. According to an article published in Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, writing about traumatic, stressful, or emotional events results in improvements in physical and psychological health.
4. Helps in self-reflection
We generally don’t get enough time to pay attention to ourselves. In our super busy schedule, journaling can help us mellow out and let us reflect on our inner self. We can assess ourselves better and get insights on how to keep our lives on track. It brings our wandering mind to attentiveness and lets us keep track of our improvements. Journaling makes us understand ourselves better by articulating our thoughts and feelings into words.
5. Improves mood and sleep
Journaling is a place where we can express all our emotions without fear of being judged. It not only lifts our spirit but lets us comprehend what is our thinking pattern and how useful it is. Journaling is also associated with better sleep as it redirects our mind from negative thoughts to a more optimistic outlook. An article published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology has stated that journaling before bedtime can reduce worries and improve sleep patterns.
6. Enhances creativity
Journaling is great for brainstorming and for keeping track of our ideas and inspirations. Journal is like a canvas where we can paint our creativity through creative writings, doodles, visuals, poems, etc. Writing in a journal boosts the way we communicate and helps us explore our brilliant imagination.
7. Boosts self-esteem
Journaling gives a broader spectrum to evaluate ourselves better. Highlighting the achievements and providing space for the positive thoughts can boost self-esteem of a person. It gives motivation to reaffirm our abilities and eliminate self-doubt.
Journaling daily might seem intimidating to a few people as it requires some time and writing efforts. Journaling might be challenging at first; however, once you start practicing it, you become emotionally and mentally strong. Understanding our overwhelming emotion can lead us to a much more organized and happy life.
If you are a beginner, you can take one step at a time. Start filling your journal three times a week, and you will feel a significant connection with yourself. After all, you matter the most and only you can achieve your inner peace and make yourself happy.
Happy journaling!!
