Want a better 2015? Write a journal.

We may have adult responsibilities, but it doesn’t mean we can’t stop having fun like we did as children when we jotted down our thoughts and had a good laugh about them later

Two years ago a friend of mine decided she was going to write a journal. Starting from January the 1st 2013, she was going to write something in her book every single day.

Of course, this is nothing new. Years ago children used to write diaries each day as a way of reminding them what’s gone on in the year. Maybe now this has been replaced by constant Twitter and Facebook updates; but the principles are the same. However in adulthood it seems many people just don’t bother.

Why?

Well the busyness of general life is probably one reason. Simply having the time to sit down and spend a few minutes writing something about the day is difficult. Also, when asking some people about it to research this article, a lot of them said “they’d grown out of it”.

That’s an interesting take on it. We seem to think that as adults we have to “grow up” and somehow leave behind the things we used to do as children. Adult life is suddenly very serious and now we have rent to pay, we need to stop having fun.

A few weeks ago I met up with my friend again. We hadn’t spoke for probably six months so it was good to chat. I asked if she was still writing the journal and she said that she was. Had this changed her?

It seems that it had, for the positive. Again, having found herself stuck in this rut of being a ‘serious’ adult, she discovered that when she wrote things down, she realised that the best times were the less serious ones. Reading back over the past six months she found that herself laughing out loud at the downright stupid stuff she got up to.

Laughter, the best medicine

And that’s the point of journalling. It helps you to remember things that would otherwise be lost in the daily grind. If something bad happens at the end of the day, the good stuff that went on earlier is suddenly forgotten. A few days, weeks or months later when you’re reading your journal, you’ll remember the good things again.

In fact, the act of simply writing the journal that night may help you push the good things to the fore right before you head to bed.

Having fun is what life’s about, in fact, it’s healthy.

According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter can be an excellent reliever of stress.

The benefits include:

• Stimulate many organs. Laughter enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles, and increases the endorphins that are released by your brain.

• Activate and relieve your stress response. A rollicking laugh fires up and then cools down your stress response and increases your heart rate and blood pressure. The result? A good, relaxed feeling.

• Soothe tension. Laughter can also stimulate circulation and aid muscle relaxation, both of which help reduce some of the physical symptoms of stress.

Over time, keeping a journal can help you remember the good things in life and keep you happy so if you want my advice for a good Christmas present, a simple journal and pen will do the job!