Top Five Benefits to Journaling

Let’s talk journaling! Oh how I used to loathe it. I didn’t understand how people could do it every day, without fail, and enjoy every minute of it. Yet, there are so many benefits to journaling. These benefits show us how it can lean us towards healthy in terms of our mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

The first time I ever had to journal, I had just been told to journal by my therapist. I was in 8th grade and she wanted me to journal my emotions at the end of each day. My mom found me a small pink journal with a suede cover and a pink ribbon in the middle. My first ever journal, as I look back on it I wish I would have kept it, but I’m pretty sure young Faith threw it away. You can already see my minimalism in full play. 😉

Yet, throughout my journey I’ve come to love journaling. It provides a release for me that I can’t find anywhere else, minus prayer. It helps me process my emotions and think through my thoughts. Journaling helps me figure out my goals for the future and helps me never forget amazing memories.

As we continue, I want to point out the many benefits to journaling. Things that often times get over looked, but are important to be aware of. I pray that after you learn these benefits you will give yourself the chance to journal and see how it benefits you.

The Benefits of Journaling

Dealing with your feelings in a healthy way

Have you ever gotten into a big fight with a loved one? Maybe you’ve experienced grief that is hard to wrap your head around? Has a situation at work or with friends caused you happiness or pain that you don’t know how to process? Whichever situation you find yourself in, journaling can be so beneficial.

By writing down all those thoughts you are removing the think before you speak filter and just letting your thoughts flow. When your thoughts flow, often times your true feelings will emerge. Not the thoughts and feeling you feel should be the right ones, but the ones that are truly on your heart.

There are so many times I find myself feeling a certain way about a situation, to then journal and realize the feeling I was having was the feeling I thought I needed to have, not my true feeling. It provides such an eye opening experience that I feel is often overlooked at times.

Why?

Personally, I think we can be afraid of what that true feeling is. Sometimes that true feeling brings me shame and points out the sinner in me. Other times, it rebukes me and makes me realize my part I played in a disagreement. A few times I showed me great joy and love I had for that person. Friend, don’t let that true feeling scare you. Please let it bless you.

Promotes Memories

You see journals filled with memories all the time from baby journals to your wedding day. These journals are filled with memories you have, along with memories people have written about pertaining to your life. Journaling is such a great way to remember the moment.

You want to remember exactly how you felt on your wedding night? Journal.

You want to remember your child’s first words or when they took their first steps? Journal.

You never want to forget the sense of accomplishment you had when you were given that promotion or landed your dream job? Journal.

Journaling takes those thoughts and feelings in that present moment and records them for you. How exciting to look back years later, with vivid detail, at the memories that shaped your life.

Cultivates creativity and self-expression

One of the biggest struggles that many face in this life is identity. Who are you? What are your likes and dislikes? What are your core values and beliefs? Some of these questions are deal breakers while others are just your personal preference, whichever one you’re asking it makes you who you are today.

Yet, if we don’t ask ourselves these questions how will we know the answer. Have you ever sat down and just journaled on the question, “Who are you?” I had to for a college assignment. Now, it wasn’t necessarily journaling, more of an essay, but the same process applied. I had to sit down and write what came to mind. Let me tell you, it’s a lot harder than you’d think. Yet, at the end of the paper I was in awe of what I wrote. I started that journal with a lack of clarity and ended up being in full focus on who I am and Whose I am.

Friend, if you get nothing from this post today, I pray you at least get this: go journal the question “Who are you?”. You’ll be so thankful you did.

Promotes Healthy Sleep

If you’re like me your anxiety ramps up when it’s time to go to bed. Somehow the fifteen thoughts I had about that one conversation a week ago doesn’t come to me while I’m cooking supper. You know when it comes to me? As soon as I lay my head on my pillow and want to sleep. Same goes for my massive to-do list. I never think about that while both my kids take a nap. Nope, I think about it at 1 AM while I feed Zeke.

Having this issue can cause problems for our sleep. Instead of winding down, we wind up. Instead of falling asleep relaxed, we barely fall asleep and we are tossing and turning the whole time. Yet, journaling can be a great way to combat this issue. When we journal our thoughts about the conversation that happened a week ago or we write out our entire to-do list, we are releasing ourselves from the very thoughts that are preventing us from sleeping.

You don’t need to fret about the to-do list and your worry of forgetting it. Why? It’s right there on the paper, next to your bed. It’ll be there in the morning. When it comes to the conversation, maybe I’m rethinking it over and over because there is an unresolved issue I need to confront. Maybe God is using that moment, when I’m truly still, to teach me something. Journaling can help us find those answers and provide that release.

Boosts your self-esteem and gratitude

One of the greatest benefits to journaling is boosting our self-esteem and the gratitude we have for ourselves, others, and God. Let me paint you a picture. What if every day, you wrote five sentences about yourself in a positive light. It could be something you did that day, a quality you have, or a way you helped a friend. Whatever it is, it was positive and it was about you. How would you feel at the end of it? Happy? Sad?

I know we want to stay humble, but I pray you would feel proud and happy about yourself.

Now, what if you did that for three months, a year, or even a decade? How do you think your viewpoint of yourself would look? I pray it would lean towards healthy and happy, not unhealthy and depressed.

When we practice gratitude we are rewiring our brains to think positively. It’s a great way to look for the blessings in all areas of our lives. If you’ve never journaled before this is a great place to start.

Let’s get started journaling!

I pray that these benefits to journaling show you how life altering it can be for you. I pray you take a shot at it and see what can happen. You’ll never know until you can try. If these benefits are speaking to you check out my post here on the different types of journaling you can do.

Also, if you want a journal that also tracks healthy habits that help you lean towards a healthy mental health check out my journal here.

 

Although I’ve lived with mental illness my whole life, I am not a medical professional. You can find a therapist anywhere in the United States here. This post contains affiliate links. You can read my disclosure here.