In a world that’s so focused on the digital, it’s important not to lose contact with analog and more ‘traditional’ tools – especially those that are beneficial for us. Today I will tell you about some of the benefits of journaling, a mindful practice that is very popular nowadays. We’ll start by talking about what journaling is, and then we will go over some of its benefits. Considering some of this information is based on scientific evidence, I will have a list of references at the end of the post 😊
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
THE BENEFITS OF JOURNALING
What is journaling?
A journal is a kind of diary, which usually contains personal stuff like reflections about certain topics or life events, dreams and aspirations, or just your thoughts at the time you were writing. Basically, we use journaling as a tool for self-reflection.
“Journal writing is a voyage to the interior.”
– Christina Baldwin
1. Reduces anxiety and depression
This might sound unbelievable, but it’s actually true! Although journaling does not replace any kind of medication or treatment, it has been scientifically proven that about 20 minutes of daily journaling lowers depression scores. When it comes to anxiety, it was also found that journaling helps calm and clear our mind, empty and project negative thoughts, and allows us to figure out what our triggers are and what affects us mentally.
“Then journaling provided me with an important outlet for the debilitating anxiety that had come to paralyze me at odd hours each day. And besides, I enjoyed it. It was fun to wake up every morning and spew a hurried black scrawl all over those straight blue lines.”
– Hayley Phelan
2. Promotes self-discipline and habit building
Picking a time in your day solely dedicated to journaling and actually doing it requires discipline. Otherwise, you will end up not following through with it and never pick your notebook up again. The same goes for habit building — if you are not disciplined, will will not be able to start the habits you so badly want to implement. By looking at journaling as this healthy and positive practice, you will also work on your self-discipline and, who knows, maybe this will make it easier for you to create habits in the future!
3. Improves your mood
If you’ve never tried pouring your soul onto paper after a long work day or right when you wake up, I highly recommend that you do it ASAP. Pouring everything that is bothering or worrying you onto a piece of paper is liberating and, generally speaking, will improve your mood. I speak for myself: when I’m feeling down, I often write about it in my journal and it’s like venting to a close friend that completely understands and supports me. I always end up feeling better!
That’s it for this list of benefits of journaling! I really hope this article made you excited about and curious to start a journal and implement this practice into your routines. If you’ve already started it but it didn’t stick, give it another try and then tell me about it in the comments!
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