5 Benefits of Journaling

I’m a huge propionate of journaling. I carry one of Lillian & Co.’s notebooks everywhere I go. So, I want to share with you the five benefits of journaling.

Maybe you’ve attempted in the past, and you feel like it’s not for you because you hate how your handwriting looks or don’t know what to write. I get it. I hated how I wrote so much that after attempting to write a couple of pages, I’d toss the journal away because my writing ruined the book! To get over it, I taught myself a new way of writing that was less offensive to my eyes. Now, I like looking at my handwriting.

Whatever the reason that’s blocking you from starting a journal practice, I urge you to work to get beyond your judgments of yourself because there are so many benefits to this personal practice.

The beautiful thing about journaling is there’s no right or wrong way to do it. It can be whatever you want to make it. You can sit down every single day at the same time and write pages and pages. You can write periodically as the moments arise or just jot down ‘ah ha’ moments. You can even doodle if you’re more of an artistic person.

There are so many reasons why it’s essential to start a journal practice, but here are five:

Journaling gets everything out. You probably don’t realize how much you’re holding in and that is not good for your mental, emotional, or spiritual health. Just like water, when it’s blocked it stagnates. So, getting what you hold in out, will unblock your mind and spirit creating a life giving energy in you.

Journaling also creates a safe space to process. It’s just you and the pages, so there’s no reason to hold back or worry about judgment. Get it all out. 

Journaling slows you down. The physical act of putting pen to paper slows you down and allows you time to process what you’re thinking and feeling.

Journalling documents growth and small changes. When you’re in the middle, it’s human nature to miss the small changes of growth. You can easily miss the progress you’re making on those rough days when you feel like everything is falling apart. You can go back and read from your past to see just how far you’ve come, and it will give you the perspective that your bad day isn’t a bad life. 

And finally, journaling helps you remember. Studies show that just writing down your daily activities increases your long term memory. When you take the time to write out your events and feelings, your brain is taking time to file them down into your mind’s filing system for later retrieval. This small practice will increase your cognitive mind and keep your brain sharp.

I hope this helps you get excited to start your journal practice. Remember, don’t overthink it or judge yourself. This is however you want to make it. Just have fun with it, and happy journaling!

Writing Prompts

If you’re new to journaling, here are a few prompts to get you started.

• Write a letter to your future self.
• Describe your perfect day.
• What qualities do you love the most about yourself?
• How do you want to make this world a better place?