The Benefits of Journaling

In our childhood, we used to have a diary in which we used to write our thoughts, scribble in it and write our daily highlights starting with 'Dear diary'. We used to have diary writing on the subject. But most of you must have failed to maintain it for too long and it's obvious. That was the place we used to dump our thoughts. If you are still doing the same then it's great. But, most of the people think that maintaining a personal diary is a childish thing. No, it isn't, We can maintain a book for that but now we call it a journal. You can still dump in your thoughts and ideas. It is proven that maintaining a journal helped to reduce stress, manage anxiety, and cope with depression.

In this article, we will discover the benefits of journaling

Writing helps you learn

‘The ability to speak exactly is intimately related to the ability to know exactly.’

Kay Burke, the author of how to Assess Authentic Learning, states:

Research shows that putting pen to paper helps us both remember and comprehend information, which makes handwriting a valuable learning tool. Every day, students write to learn, and there are many ways to incorporate writing into the classroom. One method that works across the curriculum at any age is journaling.

Journaling helps students to be less restrained when expressing themselves. It also gives students time to organize their thoughts and prepare responses, which can give them the extra confidence they need to participate in classroom discussions.

Writing prompts provide students with a clear goal as to what you expect them to write about. They also provide you with a way to evaluate what they’re taking away from a particular lesson. You will be able to see which aspects of a lesson resonate with them, what they have remembered, and what they connected with.

It propels you toward your goals, helping you bring your vision to life

"If you’re bored with life – you don’t get up every morning with a burning desire to do things – you don’t have enough goals."

Keeping a journal forces you to commit your goals to write. When you write down your goals you turn vague desires into well-articulated targets you can clearly see and aim for. You’re taking the first step toward turning the desires in your head into something concrete that exists in the material world.

When you write down your goals you’re laying the first brick, or planting the seed.

By setting aside fifteen to twenty minutes a day, every day, at a predetermined time to write about the goals you’re guaranteeing that you’re going to spend at least that amount of time each day thinking about your goals and how you’re going to achieve them. In other words, it’s time that you’re going to spend “making your garden”.

A journal allows you to record your progress. If you’ve encountered setbacks while trying to achieve an important goal you may be feeling discouraged. When you feel like you’re losing your motivation to keep moving forward it’s a good idea to take out your journal and look back at the progress you’ve already made toward the achievement of your goal

It gives you a chance to get all of your emotions out on paper, reducing your stress and releasing tension

“There are times when we stop, we sit still. We listen and breezes from a whole other world begin to whisper.”

When you have a problem and you're stressed, keeping a journal can help you identify what’s causing that stress or anxiety. Once you’ve identified your stressors, you can work on a plan to resolve the problems and reduce your stress.

Keeping a journal helps you create order when your world feels like it’s in chaos. You get to know yourself by revealing your most private fears, thoughts, and feelings. Look at your writing time as personal relaxation time. It's a time when you can de-stress and wind down. Write in a place that's relaxing and soothing, maybe with a cup of tea. Look forward to your journaling time. And know that you're doing something good for your mind and body.

It boosts your overall sense of gratitude and your sensitivity to all that you have to be grateful for

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it."

Understanding why you’re doing something instead of just jumping in will make your new habit easier to stick to. For example, you know you have to brush your teeth and even though the act of brushing your teeth isn’t necessarily enjoyable, you do it because you know it prevents cavities. The same applies to gratitude journaling (although it’s a lot more enjoyable than brushing your teeth).

Some of the benefits of gratitude journaling include lower stress levels, a greater sense of calm, and a whole new level of clarity. You’ll learn more about yourself in the process and gain a fresh perspective that allows you to recognize blessings in disguise. As you continue the practice, you’ll be able to focus your time and energy according to the things that truly make you the happiest version of yourself.

If you don’t have any trouble figuring out what you want to write about, there are some other tips and suggestions on keeping a journal that might help you boost the effectiveness of your practice, such as:

• Write first thing in the morning, right after you wake up;

• Write whenever you’re out of your regular routine (e.g., on vacation, visiting family, or just feeling “disconnected”);

• Give yourself a “reset” and take some time off from your other responsibilities; spend some time writing in your journal—allow your mind to relax and let the insights flow in on their own time;

• Prepare your mental state before journaling in whatever way works for you (e.g., exercise, talk to a close friend or family member, read something inspiring, meditate);

• Be radically honest with yourself and about yourself when journaling—no one else will see it, so there’s no need to try to “look good” on the page;

• Write about your big-picture dreams, your biggest goals, and the important stuff that’s just on the horizon for you;

• Schedule a weekly planning session in which you decide what you are going to write about each day ahead of time