When I think about journaling and its benefits, I usually think back to when I was a kid and diaries & journals were gifted to me on just about every occasion from just about everyone.
But I feel like as adults, journaling can really be our superpower. From my own experience, I have been able to manifest my current reality through journaling in the past.
So, I went a little digging on the interwebs and dove into the topic of the benefits of journaling, how it helps & why it helps. Keep reading [or just scroll down] to the end where I provide you with a few journaling prompts to get you on your way!
Benefits of Journaling
Let’s start with the superficial & easily tracked benefits of journaling:
It’s a mindful practice.
This is the main part of journaling that I like to point out to anyone who will listen. The act of writing down your thoughts is a great practice in being able to be more mindful of your actions and emotions.
Writing down what is happening in our lives, what has happened in the deep past, and where we want our lives to move forward, is a way to identify and label our emotions and behaviors. Once we are able to articulate what is going on, we can then progress and/or change.
Identifying patterns, either positive or negative, has an influential effect on us. Especially when we go back & read old entries, we can see if we are in a repeating pattern or if we were able to adjust.
It’s important to know that all our feelings stem from our thoughts which stem from facts/circumstances. It takes some time and practice but we CAN change our thoughts about the facts & circumstances, which in turn change our feelings which influence our behaviors & actions.
If you are not in a place to have the time &/or resources for therapy, setting up a journaling practice to analyze your thoughts & behaviors when you’re going through a difficult time in your life, might be the easiest (however longest) way to initiate change in your life.
The act of being extremely honest & vulnerable with yourself and writing down your internal monologue helps us to reframe the negative and turn it into positive change.
Goal setting & clarity
There are several different ways to use journaling to your benefit and setting goals is a popular one.
As mentioned earlier in this post, I have seen the effects of goal setting in my journal and watched it manifest in my life.
If you’re not open to writing down all your feelings and emotions [or feel that you have that area of your life in equilibrium] setting up a journal just for your goals and where you wish to see your life progress can bring many benefits to your life.
There is clarity that comes from action. And the action, in this case, is journaling your goals.
AS mentioned before, the act of writing down your goals, seeing them, and analyzing the patterns that are either helping or hurting you to achieve these goals, is a mindful practice.
When it comes to your goals, journaling about them helps build up resiliency and self-discipline [although I am not a big fan of that word, that’s for another time].
When you’re constantly talking about where you want to go in your personal life, career, relationships, etc it reinforces these desires and influences your behaviors, actions, and beliefs resulting (hopefully) in the positive way you want.
Habit building & skill development
Similar to goal setting & clarity, journaling can be beneficial when it comes to building or strengthening habits you wish to foster in your life and developing interpersonal skills.
It’s a bit meta…
…because many people want to develop the habit of journaling, and a great way to develop a habit is to journal about it and the reasons behind why you want the habit & its effects it will have in your life.
Here are a few examples:
- develop coping skills
- come up with action plans
- design routines (morning, night, skincare, mental health, etc) specific to your needs
- brainstorm problem-solving action plans & then come back and reflect on the effects
- increase the ability to prioritize tasks better in your life
And finally:
Memories & creativity
Similar to why we (or maybe just me) were gifted with journals & diaries in our youth, there is a special magic to being able to document moments in your life.
The fact is: there is just no way our brains can hold all the details and memories that we will accumulate in our lives. Sure, there are photos, videos, and other people that help us remember but when you use a journal, the raw and unfiltered recollection is preserved in the moment and can bring us right back to that time years in the future.
Journaling also benefits our creativity.
Journaling helps to push us in our writing when describing events & emotions in our life.
It’s that creativity & pushing that helps our writing go from something great to something that transcends time & space to deliver a unique perspective into the psyche that once was and transitions it into the present. It’s the one attainable way to time travel.
Why Is Journaling Beneficial?
There is a specific science & research behind the effects of handwriting and the benefits it has on the brain and memory.
However, I recognize that some people do not enjoy the physical act of writing. Or they have a thing about wasting paper because let’s be real, keeping a paper journal can be quite wasteful if there is no desire to keep them or reread them.
And if your budget does not allow for a tablet with a stylus (iPad and Apple Pencil for example) then opening up a google document or note on your phone might be the only option that you care to use. Is the science the same?
Paper vs Digital: Are The Benefits The Same?
Read more about this study here.
In my personal opinion, the benefits of handwriting vs digital/keyboards come up as a 50/50 split.
The point behind the science of writing notes by hand is that your body is doing the physical task of composing the words to aid in recollection, the “hook” the article mentions.
However, I don’t know about you but when I am typing, I still go through the same process of composing each word with each individual key pressed. It is a bit more streamlined and automatic because I have learned/memorized where each letter is on the keyboard but I still need to make the conscious effort to push each individual key to compose my sentence.
In the end, the choice is yours to make if you want to write in a digital/online journal or in a paper journal. I feel that either way, the benefits of journaling will still be able to help you.
When writing down our lives, emotions, goals, desires, etc allows us to gain a bit of perspective on everything.
Journaling separates us from the now and allows us a different [outside] viewpoint
It’s cathartic & restorative to journal our emotions. You are able to identify your beliefs and actions but have the ability to dump them onto the page, allowing yourself to release them from your body.
Your journal is your safe place.
It is a place to write down all your thoughts and emotions without fear of judgment or criticism. You’re able to have a raw and uncensored space that (if you want) is hidden from others.
In today’s environment where we are always talking and sharing, having a space that is just yours can be a special and beneficial aspect of your life.
Get to know yourself better
This has by far been the best benefit journaling has provided me.
With journaling I have been able to really dissect my behaviors, beliefs, actions, emotions, goals, patterns, and more!
I have been able to connect with myself, my purpose, and how I wish to show up in life.
I’ve been able to uncover what is important to me in life and weed out the “should” and what I feel society pushes onto us.
The self-awareness that comes from journaling is limitless. You can go as deep or shallow as you are willing.
This is your place to check in with your mental health, or just to see how you are progressing on your goals.
Is it time to re-evaluate?
Only you are able to answer that question & journaling helps make that happen.
The physical benefits
Short answer: reduced anxiety.
The definition of anxiety is “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” I interpret this as a worry about the unknown. Not necessarily an event but the broad future. Not knowing what will happen, how it will happen, through certain actions and/or behaviors.
Through the habit of journaling & dissecting “unknown” situations, going through every possibility and their effects, you can calm your brain. You can see that it is not the end of the world (or that it is) and have a better sense of control of the situation. You will go from not knowing what to expect, to having an idea as to how you’ll react to each possible situation.
We all want a healthy brain, right?
Journaling can help with improved brain function & memory recollection.
There have been studies connecting the practice of journaling with improved memory & attention. This could also be beneficial to people with ADHD as it can help with their focus. Taking the time to sit down and write about your emotions, what’s going on with your day, etc could help slow down your brain to focus on the moment.
Journaling is a very personal experience and highly specialized to the individual, you.
You alone can make your journaling experience as beneficial as you want it to be. But it is a practice. Journaling itself is a skill and habit that needs to be implemented in a way so the many benefits are at your disposal.
Break down your mental blocks.
Track your personal growth.
Connect with yourself & learn more about the world around you.
So much of our lives in today’s age is superficial. Society has made it that way.
We get caught up in the now & wanting more. We can forget just how much we have now and there is a greater purpose in life.
It can be hard to start so I have provided some tips to help you on your journaling adventure.
Tips to Jumpstart Your Journaling Practice
First off, there are different types of journaling practices.
At the basic level:
- guided journaling practice
- unguided journaling practice
Guided practice is facilitated by additional support such as journal prompts, themed journals, etc
An unguided practice is just you and a blank slate in front of you. Often, this is seen as a “stream of consciousness” practice or a “brain dumping” practice.
The best advice I can give you at the beginning of your journaling practice is to go slow. Ease yourself into building the habit.
A common method is to set a timer for as little as 5 minutes. Slowly increase the time day-by-day or week-by-week if you feel that you need more time.
Grab yourself a guided journal
Gratitude journals are popular for a reason. When you acknowledge all the things in your life to be grateful for, you are open up to more positive experiences in your life. This is a big mindset shift that is always beneficial.
Scour the internet for journal prompts
With a simple google search, Pinterest search, or even across social media platforms, you will discover there are thousands of resources on the internet offering journal prompts. It does take time to sift through them, find one you like, or from a source you like. Then, open up your journal to begin.
Online retailers have journal prompt resources you can purchase or even journals with prompts in them. If you need that level of guided practice, I suggest you find one you like and go for it [coming soon to this site!].
Affirmations
Along with journal prompts, affirmations are abundant on the interwebs. And just like journal prompts, there are similar resources available to you if you need a higher level of guidance.
JOURNAL PROMPTS
I want to kick off your journaling practice even quicker to feel the effects all the benefits of journaling can have in your life.
So, I’ve included some popular journal prompts I use when I am at a roadblock in my practice. Use them all or just take one. You can modify these prompts to your personal needs. Or let them spark a new creative process! Dive in 🙂
#1 What do I know now that I didn’t know just one year ago? What do I hope to know one year from now?
#2 What am I proud of myself for doing today?
#2 What do I hope to accomplish in the next three months?
as always,
Sending you love & support <3
*featured image by Ashlyn Ciara on Unsplash
