7 Awesome Benefits of Keeping a Journal Every Day
This post may contain editorial samples and/or affiliate links. We earn a commission on your sales.
I’m sure you’ve heard that keeping a journal is beneficial for your mental and physical health. But what are some other benefits to writing in your journal? Here are 7 benefits of keeping a journal every day. Journaling can help to change your perspective on life: – anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Journaling helps us see patterns in our behaviour which we may not have noticed before.
Journaling has become a beneficial habit for many, many people. Some swear by getting out their notebook and writing for 10-20 minutes each day. Many would tell you just how therapeutic it is to get some words out and onto paper or typed out. Though there are many reasons that people like to journal, it is always the most helpful for those that practice it regularly.
Table of Contents
What are some reasons to journal?
I have found keeping a journal is a great way to help with my own mental health issues. Anxiety and depression are hard to deal with alone, especially together. To avoid fights with my loved ones, I write my feelings down in my journal first to see if I am making a big deal out of nothing. 9 times out of 10 I am.
One of the best benefits of keeping a journal is that it’s a great source of self-care.
Self-Care is very important. Remember self-care is not selfish. Sign up for my newsletter to receive a free Self-Care checklist.
What are some benefits of keeping a journal?
Most people struggle with what to journal about when they are starting a journal. There is no right or wrong way to journal. It is a personal activity that is for your own benefit. The following, however, is a list of things you can journal about.
- Set (and achieve) goals – 2 in 1!
A journal is a great place to keep track of your short- and long-term goals. Keeping them in one place is a great way to refer to them so you can actually achieve them.
Journal a plan for each goal with specific steps and deadlines to meet. These details can be very enlightening to your mental health and keep you motivated to move forward in life. There is no better feeling than looking back and seeing the progress physically, but also being able to cross out goals once you have achieved them!
- Track your progress and growth
It does not matter what goals you are trying to accomplish, journaling can help you monitor your progress. Feel less depressed over an unpleasant situation? Do a brain dump of your feelings on that and why you think you are growing and healing.
Seeing how far you have come overtime is very uplifting and often snowballs into more growth. You can go back and read over your progress and reflect on it in future journal entries.
- Record your big ideas.
If your mind is full of things you want to do, you need to get them down on paper! Your journal can be a great resource for lists that you can later look back on. Make a list of places you would like to travel to, create a 30 before 30 bucket list, or just jot down your favorite motivational quotes for future inspiration.
- Reflect on day-to-day life
Do you feel you could be more productive with your days? Journal your daily routine for an entire week. This allows you to see where your time is being spent. With this information, you can revamp your daily routines for a more productive lifestyle. Maybe you spend time on something that does not have value to you the way it used to. Swap this for something you are more passionate about. Do this regularly to continue working on being the best version of yourself you can be.
- Improve your communication skills.
Sometimes it is difficult for us to say how we are feeling. Some people find it easier to communicate their thoughts by writing them out. I gave the example of how I use my journal to help with my marriage and communication with my husband. It really helps.
This is also beneficial because you can write out your feelings about a situation or person and no one else sees it.
- It helps to reduce anxiety and depression.
Journaling has been known to greatly help those that suffer from anxiety and/or depression. When your daily thoughts are out on paper, you can notice triggers that cause you to feel a certain way. This way, you can keep progress in overcoming those anxieties and also avoiding situations that give you unnecessary anxiety.
- A creative outlet for your mind
Sometimes journaling can just be a way to express yourself in a creative sense. Use your journal to share stories or create funny characters. If you are struggling with what to write, or are experiencing writer’s block, one quick google search can give you hundreds of amazing prompts. Whatever strikes you to pick up your pen and write, use that!
6 Creative ways to journal
We discussed different benefits of keeping a journal but not how to be creative with it. Everyone’s journal is as different as they are. It is a personal space for your personal thoughts and no one else knows about it or sees it unless you tell them/share it.
- Have fun with bullet journaling.
Bullet journaling is a popular form of journaling. It combines art and journaling together. Bullet journaling is a way of journaling via lists. You can be creative with different pens and markers. It is great for to-do lists, and goals. You can even list books you want to read, and movies you want to watch.
2. Start keeping lists
What other lists can you journal? You can use this idea to really get to know yourself on a deeper level than you ever imagined before.
Here are a few simple list ideas:
- Places I want to go.
- Songs that speak to me
- People that have left a mark on my life.
- Things I am proud of myself for
- My bucket list for life
3. Create a dream journal.
Many people believe that our dreams have meanings. There are books on this topic. A dream journal is a great place to jot down your dreams as soon as you wake up. Perhaps a dream solves a problem you have been trying to solve. Another dream could be of a loved one that has passed away but leaves you with a message about life. Jot it all down for future reference.
4. Write letters to loved ones.
We all have loved ones that have passed on that we wish we could talk to still. Writing to them in your journal is one of the benefits of keeping a journal to get out your feelings and thoughts. When we pass on, everyone loves to see things in our own handwriting again and cherish them. Writing a heartfelt letter to them in your journal is a great way to preserve your handwriting. I love all the fun and unique journaling pens you can choose from to make your journal unique.
5. Write affirmations for yourself
Affirmations are an amazing technique for self-love and self-growth. Filling a journal full of affirmations that remind you that you are valuable, you are loved, and you are worthy can go a long way to helping give yourself a mental boost.
6. Work on your own gratitude journal.
Writing what you are thankful for is a wonderful way to change your mind set on a rough day. When you are having a hard time finding joy on a particular day, look back at your gratitude journal to see all the things you have to be thankful for. Make this a daily habit to profoundly change your life. If you are not sure what to write about, you can try this free daily journaling page printable. It is a simple 2 pages and it helps you to get use to journaling.
Journaling is a great way to keep track of your thoughts and feelings. It can also be helpful for improving self-awareness or managing stress levels. You may find it easier to plan out your days if you write down what needs done in the morning before work. If there’s something that’s been weighing on your mind lately, writing it down could make things feel more manageable again!
There are more benefits of keeping a journal than what I mentioned in this post. My husband’s therapist has actually recommended he keeps a journal about his thoughts. He has not kept up with it, but when he was journaling, it helped his mental state.
Do you keep a journal?
Have you noticed benefits of keeping a journal?
Follow Me On Social Media:
