Journaling offers limitless possibilities. From jotting down life goals, to do lists, writing love letters you never send or simply doodling across the pages, it has the power to make you a better person. Your mind is incredibly creative and what’s inside of it does need to come out (at least from time to time). Journaling is an art, a hobby and therapy at the same time. It is a tool for self-development, problem solving, self-expression and stress reduction. So here is 5 reasons why you need to start journaling today!
1. A journal is an outlet for your emotions It is perfectly natural to have thoughts and feelings you would not share with friends or even family. However, sometimes these thoughts need to be expressed. Grabbing a piece of paper and throwing your emotions on it can actually have the same effect as expressing them out loud.
Processing emotionally difficult events such as breakups is much easier when you use writing as an emotional outlet. After a traumatic experience, people who used writing to express their feelings and thoughts saw the positive effects not only on their mental but also physical health.
2. By writing in a journal you will become less stressed and more creative Research shows that writing for as little as 15 minutes a day can already have a positive impact on your life. Hopes, fears, opinions, thoughts, feelings or beliefs are only a couple of examples of what can be a part of your journal. Purely the writing process itself increases your creativity. You don’t have to write Kafka-styled short stories to tap into your inner writer. Skill comes with time but to express your emotions, you don’t even need to have skill. We all know how to put a couple of words together and the most important thing is that you understand what you wanted to say. That is the beauty of journaling, you are writing about yourself for yourself. You don’t have to worry about the grammar, spelling or whether what you write is legible for others or (sometimes) even for you. Just write.
3. Keeping a journal shows you who you once were A journal is our own external hard drive, where we save our memories on the white pages and enable our future selves a look into the past. You get the unique chance to see who you once were and how you once thought. Writing into a journal is a pathway to self-discovery.
4. Journaling will get clear about your goals Writing about what you want for yourself in the future will set a clear direction for the time to come. Through writing you get the opportunity to imagine a dream life for yourself and create an action plan on how to achieve it. Sorry to disappoint you here, but purely dreaming about it won’t do much good. But back to journaling! Consider asking yourself questions such as what would my dream life look like? What is important for me in life? What do I want to achieve in my lifetime? Write these questions down on a piece of paper and answer them for yourself. Having clarity on what you want to do and why is one of the keys to a happy life.
5. By journaling you will develop a relationship to yourself One of the biggest benefits of writing and journaling is that you get the opportunity to develop a relationship with yourself. You will get to know yourself as a person, you will discover your true values, beliefs and define goals for the future. This will not only make your life with yourself a lot better but it will also improve your relationships.
But I don't know how to write... Having trouble overcoming the writer's block? Here's a tip on how to beat it. Take a white page and write. Anything. If your mind is completely blank then write: My mind is completely blank and I don’t know what I should write. Once you get the pen moving, the words will come to you and the thoughts will follow.
One of the best things about journaling is that when you’re finished you have something to look back on. You created something. All human beings have a need to be creative and writing or doodling in a journal is a perfect way to do it. Journaling is a conversation that we get to have with ourselves. No judgement. So the next time you're feeling a bit lost or lonely, why not take your journal out for coffee and just write...
Sources:
http://academic.udayton.edu/JackBauer/Readings%20595/Lyubomirsky%2005%20talk%20write%20think%20copy.pdf
https://www.americansforthearts.org/sites/default/files/338full.pdf