Journaling for Your Health

Benefits of Journaling

When you journal, you don't just flex your writing skills. There are plenty of reasons why people continue journaling for wellness. Many people even find journaling somewhat "addictive" once they make a habit of it because it's so enjoyable and helpful.

Here are a few benefits of journaling daily.

Increasing Mindfulness

In a fast-paced world, being mindful is difficult. You have to slow down and "unplug" from all of the distractions of the world and find a way to become truly in tune with the world around you.

There are many ways to do this, such as taking a walk in nature and meditation, but journaling is a great way you can do it every day. When you journal, you reconnect with the "here and now."

Mindfulness can reduce feelings of anxiety and depression and help you keep track of what's important.

Organizing Your Thoughts

Do you ever feel like your thoughts are all over the place? Do they overwhelm you? Journaling can help.

Often, getting your ideas down on paper provides a ton of relief. You can organize your day if you journal in the morning or make sense of what transpired if you journal at night.

This may give you a stronger sense of control over your thoughts and behaviors and reduce your anxiety levels. It gives you an extra opportunity to process your thoughts.

It's also great to be able to jot down thoughts that quickly occur to you so you can keep them in one place. Whether they're healthy living ideas, plans, or just random epiphanies, you'll have them in one place.

Spending Time Effectively

It can be difficult to know if we're actually spending our time as well as we should be. This is especially true for people who struggle with time blindness, ADHD, brain fog, and other issues that influence focus and productivity.

By journaling, you're giving yourself a log of how you're spending all of your time (depending on how you use your journal, of course). If you include a "planner" section, you can give yourself a checklist of things to do and keep track of whether or not you actually did them.

As you continue journaling, this could lead you into the habit of being more productive overall because you're more conscious of how you're using your valuable time.

Pursuing Goals

Do you have goals you'd like to accomplish? Whether they're health goals, personal goals, financial goals, or any other goals, a journal can help.

By writing down your intentions and checking in when you make progress, you'll be able to keep better track of your goals. A goal may seem more "real" or concrete when it's written down.

How to Keep a Journal

The idea of keeping a journal sounds great, but journaling daily can be a difficult habit to form. Sitting down and writing every day is harder than it seems.

Here are a few tips for how you can start and maintain your journal writing practice.

Set Aside Time for It

Make journaling a priority. Add it to your schedule and consider setting a reminder for yourself on your phone. Even if you only have five minutes per day to journal, make sure you use them.

It's okay to miss days, but don't make a habit of it. Treat journaling like you'd treat cleaning your home, brushing your teeth, or exercising. It's something that's good for you and that you should be making time for.

Keep Your Journal Nearby

If you're always out and about, it's helpful to have a small journal that you can keep with you in a purse or pocket. Pocket-sized journals are perfect for on-the-go thoughts and plans.

When you keep a journal on hand all the time, there's no excuse for not doing it. You may also find that you jot down more interesting and useful thoughts because you're doing it in real time rather than waiting until the memory fades.

Of course, there's also value in giving yourself time to reflect and evaluate a situation before writing about it.

Consider a Digital Journal

Physically writing things down in a journal is good for your memory, but if you know that you're not going to do it, there's nothing wrong with keeping a digital journal as well (or using a digital journal to supplement your physical journal).

Journal on a blog, in a document on your laptop, or even on your phone. As long as you're getting your thoughts down, it's still beneficial.

Make It Fun

How can you make journaling enjoyable? If you're struggling, try finding ways to make it more fun for yourself.

Consider drawing in your journal, or even adding stickers. This may seem silly, but journaling can inspire creativity, so by doodling and letting that creativity flow, you're actually making even better use of your journal.

Choose a journal you like. Make sure it has a nice cover and that the paper feels good to write on. Consider getting yourself a special pen just for journaling purposes.

Some people like to pretend that they're writing to someone when they journal. If that makes it more engaging for you, do it!

Remember, your journal is private. Whatever it takes to make it fun for you is for your eyes only. It doesn't matter if it feels silly.

Make Journaling a Habit

Journaling is a healthy habit that may change your life. Whether you journal for creativity, health, or just to keep track of your thoughts, it has huge benefits. Why not grab a journal and give it a try?

Even if you take long periods of time away from your journal, it's never too late to go back to it.

In the meantime, check out the blog for other ideas for healthy living.