12 Amazing Benefits of Journaling

Journaling – What it is, what the benefits are, and how to get started! 

Journaling is a powerful wellness tool that is recommended to help ease stress and depression, and promote creativity and life purpose. In this article we are going to look at what journaling is and explore 12 amazing benefits of journaling. We will then show you how to get started on your journaling journey.

What is Journaling? 

There are different types of journaling, each having their own benefits. But essentially journaling is a written record of your thoughts & feelings, kind of like a diary.  

It’s the process of writing down your daily thoughts. Sharing your feelings and emotions with yourself without the fear of judgment or criticism from others. 

Every day millions of people share their thoughts and feelings on social media, celebrating the good moments and venting about the bad. But how do you deal with your most personal inner thoughts and feelings that you don’t want to share with the world? You write in your journal.

Your journal is where you can write down your most personal thoughts without the eyes of the world on you, judging and offering opinions.

What are 12 Benefits of Journaling?

Helps to Reduce Stress and Manage Anxiety 

When you feel stressed or anxious,  journaling can help you identify the root cause of your feelings. By writing down what’s going on in your life and how you feel at that moment you can uncover what is causing those feelings. You can then work toward addressing the problems and removing the stress and anxiety from your life. This is called reflective journaling.

Gratitude journaling can also reduce stress by focusing on good things in your life. By finding things to be grateful for, you are moving your focus from stressful thoughts to happy, grateful thoughts.  

Helps Manage Depression

Many mental health experts support reflective journaling for coping with depression.  

Keeping a journal when suffering with depression can help by giving you the opportunity to write down and reflect on your thoughts and emotions. It helps to process your thoughts and put them into perspective.  

With daily journaling you can identify triggers that make you feel depressed, giving you the power to address the triggers and improve your mood.  

Please; if you think you are suffering with clinical depression, seek professional help. Journaling alone may not be enough to manage depression but can be an important tool when incorporated with an overall wellness plan. 

Creates Mindfulness

Firstly, what is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the practice of being present. Of focusing your attention and awareness on the current moment. Observing your thoughts, feelings and emotions, thus giving you a greater control over how you react to the outside world. 

Mindfulness journaling is a powerful tool as you are writing down those thoughts, feelings and emotions. 

Helps to Achieve Goals

Neuroscience studies show that goal setting alters the brain. And by writing down your goals you are telling the brain that they are important.

When you write your goals in a journal you are engaging the Amygdala (emotional responses) and Prefrontal Cortex (decision making). The Amygdala determines how important the goals are, and the prefrontal cortex finds ways to make them a reality. They work together in an emotional and logical way to push you towards your goals.

And by revisiting the goals you have written down regularly, you remind your brain what it is you want to achieve. 

Improves Emotional Intelligence

The definition of Emotional Intelligence is; 

“The capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.” 

By journaling daily, you explore your thoughts and identify your emotions. And when you sort through your thoughts and acknowledge your emotions you can then improve your emotional intelligence.

Improves Memory

The act of writing something down has always been known to improve the ability to remember things later.

And when you write in your journal you can revisit what was written, triggering old memories, thoughts and experiences of the past. 

Writing in a journal can also help with your working memory. If something is bothering you, or there is stress in your life it can be hard to concentrate and focus on the present. By journaling about emotional, stressful things in life you are freeing up the mind to concentrate on the present.

Helps Sleep 

If you have trouble falling asleep journaling may be a helpful tool. By writing down your thoughts before bed you can clear your mind of the days thoughts and worries. Once the worries have been dealt with you can then write what you are grateful for. 

Going to bed with a clear mind, gratitude and pleasant thoughts gives you a better chance of falling asleep and sleeping soundly.

Increases Productivity  

Journaling is a proven tool for increased productivity. It helps you to collect your thoughts, list your goals and record your progress.  

You can brainstorm what you want to achieve, and list your goals and how you want to tackle them. You can then review your progress, analysing what you’ve accomplished, what stopped you from achieving your goals, and how you can improve the next day.

Increases Creativity  

As we’ve said, journaling allows you write down all thoughts and emotions, clearing the mind. 

And as happens in meditation, once the mind is clear your creative brain can kick in. Some of the most successful creatives will tell you that journaling has given them the best ideas. Your brain can move from survival (external influence) to creative (your inner voice).

Improves Physical Health

Research shows that regular journaling can improve physical and mental health, because as we know, when our thoughts are in turmoil our health suffers as a result.  

It is well known that stress, anxiety and depression can cause physical illness. So it only stands to reason that when you use journaling to help with mental and emotional issues that it will also improve physical health. 

 And revisiting the point above about journaling for achieving goals. If your goal is to improve your health then you can use your journal to create a plan and review your progress. You can see what is working and keep yourself accountable. 

Helps Gain Clarity

Have you ever been confused, had doubts or just been stuck in the moment? Ever felt the weight of just trying to work out your next step?  

Journaling is a way to help you work through your thoughts and give you clarity. 

It helps you find out what you want more of and what you want less of. You can then work on an action plan to make it all happen the way you want. 

Helps Build Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand or feel what someone else is experiencing. And when you look at a situation objectively, you take the emotion of how it affects you, better understanding other points of view.  

Journaling helps build empathy by writing your thoughts on a situation and clearing your emotions. You can then write about the situation objectively, giving you the opportunity to see it from another perspective.  

As you can see, the benefits of journaling are many. And it’s not important how you journal, it’s a personal preference, so choose whichever works best for you.

Now let’s have a look at the different types of journals you can use to help you in life.

4 Types of Journaling to Help you Benefit

As you can see, the benefits of journaling are many. And it’s not important how you journal, it’s a personal preference, so choose whichever works best for you.

Now let’s have a look at the different types of journals you can use to help you in life.

Mindfulness Journal

Being mindful is simply focusing on the moment and being in the present.  

And a mindfulness journal helps you to check in with yourself, express your thoughts and feelings and reflect on what matters. 

It’s a great way to start your day as it creates focus at the beginning of the day, giving you purpose and vision for a wonderful day. 

If you’re having trouble with where to start, try using prompts or a guided journal. 

Here are prompts to start a mindfulness journal: 

• How am I feeling this morning? 
• What are 3 things I love about myself? 
• What are 3 things I am grateful for? 
• What am I looking forward to today? 
• What am I not looking forward to today? 
• What can I do to help myself cope with this? 
• What are 3 things I can do to make today a good day? 
• What are 3 things that I want to achieve today and in the future? 
• What can I do today to get me on the path to what I want? 

Gratitude Journal

Gratitude is a powerful emotion that is scientifically proven to improve mental and physical wellbeing. By finding positive things to be grateful for in day-to-day life, you are breaking the habit of dwelling on the negatives.  

And a Gratitude Journal is a way to make sure you take the time each day to reflect on the positives in your life. 

Writing just 3 things you’re thankful for that happened that day helps to cultivate feelings of appreciation and happiness.  

People usually write in their gratitude journal in the morning or in the evening before bed. I prefer nightly gratitude as it reminds you of what is good in life and promotes better sleep.  

You can write on a blank page or use a gratitude journal that provides prompts. 

Physical Wellness Journal

A physical wellness journal is one you can use when you are trying to gain control of your physical health. 

You can write your plan of what your goals are and the actions you are going to take to reach those goals. 

You can then reflect daily on how you went in relation to your plan.  

Things you can include in your physical wellness journal are: 

• Why you want to start this journal – it’s always easier to stay on track if you know why. 
• Starting and goal body weight and measurements. 
• Exercise plan 
• Nutrition plan 

You can then use the journal to record the results and reflect on your wellness journey. Write down recipes you like as well as those you don’t (just so you know to stay away from them next time). Note the exercises you enjoy and what works best for you. 

Reflect on your day and remember the moments where you felt motivated or the moments when you felt you were losing momentum and what caused it. 

Reflective Journal

A reflective journal is a place where you write your most personal thoughts. Where you can reflect on the moments of your day that are having an impact on your life. You then have the opportunity to learn from those experiences and plan how you want to live moving forward.  

Here are prompts to start your reflective journal: 

• How was my day? 
• What were the challenges today? 
• How do I feel about those challenges? 
• What are some possible solutions?
• What steps can I take tomorrow to work towards that goal? 
• What is the best thing that happened today? 
• What am I grateful for? 
• What lessons have I learned this week? This month? This year? 
• List your dreams, hopes and goals. 
• Who are the people in your life and what they mean to you. 

How to Benefit from Journaling

Journaling is a personal journey so do it your way, the way that benefits you best. There’s no right or wrong way to journal.  

What is important though is that you make journaling a daily habit. It will feel strange to start with and you might feel like you have nothing to write about. But believe me, journaling is an amazing way to make a positive change in your life. 

Prepare Yourself 

Find the notebook or journal that you want to use, and a pen you enjoy writing with. You want to make your journaling time a pleasant experience, one you want to return to tomorrow.  

Then choose the space you need. Choose the best place in your home where you’ll feel comfortable, able to relax and sit down to write. If it helps, light candles or put on some soothing music, do what you can to make it an enjoyable experience.   

Your aim is to make journaling a habit. So to start, set aside 5 minutes of your day (you can extend that later if you want) and set a daily alarm. This will remind you of your commitment to yourself to journal each day. And if you can’t journal every day don’t beat yourself up, just pick up where you left off the next day.  

Creating good habits takes time but is beneficial to life and makes it easier to start new good habits.

Start Writing 

Your journal is for your eyes only so don’t worry about grammar or spelling mistakes, write freely. Write as though you are speaking to someone else and have an open and honest conversation with yourself. Put your judgment on the shelf and be kind to yourself, this is where you can bare your soul without fear of retribution. 

If you get writers block then just write that, “I have writers block 😛. Write about what you can see in the room, describe what’s outside the window, anything to get you into the present moment. By taking the stress of figuring out what to write you will free up your mind and thoughts will flow. 

Revisit Your Journal 

Lastly, make time to revisit your journal from time to time. By reading through your thoughts and feelings you can see how far you’ve come from that time to now. You can celebrate your achievements and reassess the areas of your life you want to change

Benefits of Journaling – Final Words

No matter what type of journal you choose or what benefits you’re looking for, just enjoy the experience. 

Because the benefits of journaling are worth the effort.

You’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain!