There are some very good reasons to journal. Journaling has become a beneficial habit for 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, the truth is, it’s always the most helpful for those that practice it on a regular basis. Have you thought about your reasons to journal?
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Journaling-A Healthy Habit
When looking for reasons to journal keep in mind that journaling could be a healthy habit for you, consider the not-so-comforting alternatives. You could keep all your thoughts and ideas jumbled up in your mind. That alone seems a bit overwhelming, but the reality is that it can leave you unfocused and distracted for most of the day.
Anxiety and depression may remain a constant in your life and can worsen if that is something that you are struggling with. With no creative outlet, you may feel stifled or just like you are constantly in a funk. That’s exhausting!
Often, people have many reasons to journal- and end up finding several benefits once they get started. All you have to do is start!
Reasons to Journal
Grow You Faith
One of the reasons to journal is to grow your faith. If you are a daily Bible reader you could create a journal for your daily Bible reading. Read your passage for the day and write a few thoughts about it. List any questions you may have about the passage you read and then follow up on those questions when you have time to sit down and study.
As you learn more of God's Word your faith will grow. You will be able to look back in your journals and see how far God has brought you.
Anxiety and Depression
Even as Christians we deal with 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 begin to notice triggers that cause you to feel a certain way. This way, you can keep progressing in overcoming those anxieties and also avoid situations that give you unnecessary anxiety.
As a side note, please do not mistake journaling as a substitute for professional mental health care. Journaling is a great way to release emotions, but there is medical help available and journaling should be used in conjunction with professional help.
Identifying what is causing your anxiety and/or depression and how it makes you feel lets you come up with possible solutions, and you can look back and see your progress!
Promote Self Care
I have some serious self-care issues. It's not that I don't take care of myself, I just tend to put myself last. I have 3 kids, and they all need my attention, and as teenagers, it seems they need my attention more than when they were toddlers! LOL! But keeping a journal can help you take even better care of yourself. You can keep track of healthy habits, and see where you need to add some additional self-care.
Set (and achieve) Goals – 2 in 1!
Write down all the short-term and long-term goals you hope you achieve in your journal. This keeps them in one place to refer back to as needed. 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’s no better feeling than looking back and seeing the progress physically, but also being able to check off goals once you’ve achieved them, and I love putting check marks by completed goals!
Track Progress and Growth
Along with setting and achieving goals, journaling will help you track progress and growth. Did you lose 5 pounds in the last month? Discuss how you did it in your journal. Feel less depressed over a bad situation? Do a brain dump of your feelings on that and why you think you’re growing and healing.
Seeing how far you have come over time is very uplifting and oftentimes snowballs into more growth. You can go back and read over your progress and reflect on it in future journal entries. You can create a tracker or you can write out your thoughts, either way, you will have something to look back on to see your progress.
Record Your Big Ideas
If your mind is full of things you want to do, you need to get them down on paper! Writing these things down can declutter your brain! Take a few minutes before bed and write your big ideas, this can help clear your mind before you settle into sleep. Using your journal to Brain Dump is a great way to get you ready to journal!
Your journal can be a great resource for lists that you can later look back on. Make a list of places you’d like to travel to, create a 30 before 30 bucket list, or just jot down your favorite motivational quotes for future inspiration. Vision boards are all the rage, why not make a mini one you can refer to in your journal?
Evaluate Day-to-Day Life
If you feel like 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 doesn’t have value to you the way it used to. Swap this for something you’re more passionate about. Do this regularly to continue working on being the best YOU ever!
Improve Communication Skills
Sometimes it is difficult for us to verbally say how we are feeling. The words just don’t seem to come when we are talking with a trusted friend or family member, even if we do want to share.
Some people find it easier to communicate their thoughts by writing them out. Journaling regularly can help you improve your communication with others. The more you find the words to explain how you feel, the easier it gets to share.
Manage Problems and Find Solutions
When problems live only in our minds, they can be dangerous. They may feel bigger than they are and take away the mental focus we need for other areas of our lives.
By journaling, you can get the issues out of your head and onto paper. Then, you can brainstorm ways to solve the problems. Lightening the burden on your mind allows for clarity to easily find solutions to things that are bothering you.
A Creative Outlet for Your Mind
Sometimes journaling can just be a way to express yourself in a creative sense. Not everyone has a knack for drawing or creating visually artistic works. Getting creative through the written word may be more your speed.
Use your journal to share stories or create funny characters. If you’re struggling with what to write, or are experiencing writer’s block, one quick google search can give you hundreds of amazing prompts and reasons to journal. Whatever strikes you to pick up your pen and write, use that!
As you can see, there are many great reasons to journal. If nothing else, it gives you a place to put down your thoughts, feelings, ideas, and dreams. The more you do it, the more you still start to reap the benefits of your writing habit.