HealthLifestyle

The Benefits of Journaling

There is a new craze in town and it’s called journaling. Journaling is used to keep you organized, work through emotions, express yourself and spark creativity. 

Journaling can help you get out of a funk, solve problems, plan for the future or even reconnect with yourself. Many people find it a great way to organize their thoughts, brainstorm ideas, and get their emotions out in a healthy way.

Why Journaling

When you start journaling, you will get a better idea of where you are at in life and notice patterns and trends in your life. Using a journal is a fantastic way to stay organized, and you can use it as a place to keep track of your thoughts and ideas, write down your inspiration and goals, and work through your emotions.

Journaling For Executives

People who are successful in their jobs have found journaling to be a great business tool. Executives who wrote in their journals found that they are better in their positions and climb the corporate ladder. It can also serve as a form of therapy and a journaling process that can help you better understand yourself and your situation. Once you have learned more about yourself, journaling can also be a way to learn more about others. This can add to your knowledge of the world and make you a better leader and a better person.

Journaling Styles

There are many different types of journaling styles.  Whether you choose to use a blank journal or a pre-written one, you will always want to make sure that the journal you choose is one that you will enjoy using. For example, if you want to write poems in your journal, using a blank journal with blank pages gives you the best chance of success. A journal that is pre-written with prompts or poetry may not be helpful because it will limit your creativity.

How to Get Started

Journaling doesn’t always have to be on paper.  It could be on your computer or a notes app on your phone. It even could be from daily writing prompts or just a brain dump of all the things that happened in the day. Whatever it is it should be something that you like doing and find you can easily do it. Many people stick to a time of day that they journal – some in the early morning while the house is quiet or late at night before bed. Whichever you choose, don’t get upset if you miss a day or two. 

How Journaling Impacts your Physical Health

In addition to helping with mental health, journaling may also have a positive impact on physical health. A New Zealand study found those who wrote about their negative feelings in their journal for 20 minutes per day healed faster than those who just journaled their activity throughout the day.  In another study, college students who wrote about stressful events in their journals were far less likely to get sick compared to those who wrote about mundane topics and their daily activities. 

Conclusion

It’s easy to get journaling started. You don’t need anything fancy to start putting your thoughts, ideas, problems and goals down. You may be surprised what a little activity like journaling can do to change your health and well-being!