Why Journal?

 

Journaling is the new way of keeping a diary but instead of writing about your love life, or the boy you like best, or your secret thoughts, the journal is a way of expressing yourself.  I sort of journal in that I keep track of daily things I want to do.  I use it as a way of making sure I meet my goals on exercise, eating, etc.

There are seven reasons why journaling is good for you.  First it allows you to achieve goals since you have to write down when you work on your goals.  One of my goals is to exercise at least 30 minutes per day for five out of seven days.  I write down each day if I did or didn't do it so I can easily check to make sure I've met my weekly goal. It is a way of holding yourself accountable.

Secondly, you can check and see how much progress you are making and it allows you to go back to measure yourself against earlier entries.  For some, journaling is a way to monitor weight loss, improved health, or other such goal so that you know you are making progress.  Your progress is visible.  Last year, I needed to lose a few pounds and through my journaling I was able to tell that I was losing a pound or so a week so I felt encouraged.

Next, journaling helps you with your self confidence.  You can read back and see what struggles you've faced and how you over came them.  You have a way to show yourself, you are doing well, and it builds confidence in yourself.

Another advantage is that your writing improves.  If you journal everyday, that means you are practicing your writing skills.  To become better at writing, you have to practice and making daily entries really helps your writing.  As your ability to express your ideas and thoughts in written form improves, your ability to communicate improves.

Furthermore, journaling about your feelings and your struggles can help you release stress and feel better overall.  It helps release any negative feelings while helping you think about the problem in a different way and it may lead to coming up with a solution.  If you go to therapy, you have a record of your feelings you can share with your therapist.

Journaling also provides an avenue for brainstorming and writing down ideas.  Journals are a great place to write down thoughts, ideas, and things that you might want to happen in your life.  Use the journal to sketch or doodle just to relax and see where your mind takes you.

Finally, writing down your thoughts can help reduce negative energy and improve your working memory because when you write something down, your brain is more likely to remember it. This is one reason why they recommend good note taking in school.  

So here you have seven reasons to journal.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.