4 Benefits of Journaling

Who knew that the diary I had when I was a pre-teen would be the start of one of my biggest lifelines on a hard day? I definitely didn’t know. I don’t think 10 year old me writing about the tv shows I watched and activities I liked to do imagined that I would still be writing today. The only difference is that my writing topics are a little deeper. 

That is actually my favorite part about journaling today. It can be a great tool to help figure yourself out. When you take your journaling seriously, there are many benefits that can come from it. That is what we are spending time on today. Don’t forget to check out today’s daily journal prompt over on Instagram after you read today’s post. Here are four benefits of journaling

It Provides You A Place To Collect Your Thoughts

If you are in the middle of a big project or life transition, odds are your mind is running a thousand different directions. When I’m feeling that way I like to use my journal time to organize my thoughts. This helps me prioritize what needs to be done and determine what the steps I need to take next. Whenever I do this my brain feels so light and free again. If this sounds like something you need to do, here is how I do it:

• Brain dump- write down whatever your thinking about – that relates to what you are going through
• Look over what you wrote and organize them into sections. For example, if you’re moving you might have a section for packing, prepping the new house, move in day, etc.. 
• If it’s a deadline thing I like to then make one more list of the days leading up to the event/deadline. I’ll transfer those tasks to what days I plan on getting them done, this also makes a great checklist.

You Can Write Down Memories That You Want To Look Back On

This is my one of my favorite benefits of journaling because I’m a sentimental person. Looking back on pictures is great, but looking back on how you felt and what you were thinking is amazing. It’s also a great progress tracker if you are going through a tough season. By documenting how you are feeling you are giving your future self hope that you can get through other tough seasons.

It Helps Improve Your Writing Skills

If improving your handwriting is something you are interested  in, journaling can be a great way to do that. If you aren’t necessarily interested in that, it will just be a fun bonus.

It’s A Great Way To Process What You Are Feeling

There are some days where I get awestruck at what I write. When I’m in the zone and the words are flowing onto the paper, who knows what thoughts come out. Sometimes I’ll reread my journal entries and I discover that there are things that I didn’t know I was feeling. Then there are times where I’ll write something really deep and get a breakthrough. It’s like I knew exactly what I needed to hear. 

Like I mentioned in a previous post, not all journal entries are going to be as profound as what I just described. To me, that makes the days that I do experience that more special. When you do have journal entries like this, my advice is to pay close attention to what you are trying to tell yourself.

I’m sure you are starting to see the value that journaling can bring to your life.Don’t just take my word for it. Tomorrow I’m bringing you some testimonies of others that have been impacted from journaling. See you then!