Journaling has generated a lot of popularity in recent years, and that's rightfully so because in the right hands something as simple as a notebook and pen can be used as an excellent tool for mental health, act as your daily dose of encouragement and be your source of organization and creativity.
When it was brought to my attention that we're in 2018, and there are some people out there that still aren't convinced they should hurry up and jump on this bandwagon, I knew in my heart that I had to whip out some of my very own reasons for why keeping a journal is worthy of your valuable time and effort in this new year.
"What a comfort is this journal. I tell myself to myself and throw the burden on my book and feel relieved." —Anne Lister
I couldn't describe it any better than what is quoted above. Journaling is something so simple that anyone can do, yet it has been capable of having the most wonderful impact on me and my life through recent years, and with how hard it can be to stay optimistic in this world at times, that is something that I would love for others to experience as well, which is why today I thought I would share with you some of my very best reasons, for why you should try keeping your own journal this year.
I couldn't describe it any better than what is quoted above. Journaling is something so simple that anyone can do, yet it has been capable of having the most wonderful impact on me and my life through recent years, and with how hard it can be to stay optimistic in this world at times, that is something that I would love for others to experience as well, which is why today I thought I would share with you some of my very best reasons, for why you should try keeping your own journal this year.
1. YOU CAN CLEAR YOUR MIND
There have been more than a few mornings where I've woken up to a tired brain, exhausted from a full night of worrisome thoughts, that somehow, managed to pile up on top of one another the very moment I had laid my head against the pillow the evening before.
As much as I hate to admit it, I am a worrier. There's always something I'm wasting my time and energy being nervous about, and they're usually things that I can't control. Like my future and what might be in store for me the next day. I'll lay in my bed, looking up at the ceiling as I wonder what I'll end up doing with my life, or if any of my biggest dreams will ever actually end up becoming a reality. And then, there are the more simplistic, everyday worries such as questioning if I turned all of the lights out at work before I left or if anyone remembered to take the dog outside.
But since I've started taking a moment out of each day to write down some of my concerns, my late night stress has most definitely, and thankfully, decreased. When doing this, it feels as if all of your thoughts are emptying one by one, as each word comes in contact with the paper. And when you're all done, being able to close your journal and leave it be for the night, can really help you with leaving your more upsetting thoughts behind, too.
As much as I hate to admit it, I am a worrier. There's always something I'm wasting my time and energy being nervous about, and they're usually things that I can't control. Like my future and what might be in store for me the next day. I'll lay in my bed, looking up at the ceiling as I wonder what I'll end up doing with my life, or if any of my biggest dreams will ever actually end up becoming a reality. And then, there are the more simplistic, everyday worries such as questioning if I turned all of the lights out at work before I left or if anyone remembered to take the dog outside.
But since I've started taking a moment out of each day to write down some of my concerns, my late night stress has most definitely, and thankfully, decreased. When doing this, it feels as if all of your thoughts are emptying one by one, as each word comes in contact with the paper. And when you're all done, being able to close your journal and leave it be for the night, can really help you with leaving your more upsetting thoughts behind, too.
It's a common misconception that if you do more than just writing in your journal, then it's not actually considered to be a journal. But, in my humble opinion, that is complete and utter nonsense. Yes, of course, a journal's main purpose is to be written in, but that doesn't mean you're limited to only writing itself.
There are multiple different kinds of journaling out there such as art, bullet, prayer, travel, as well as plenty of others, and realistically, we all have days where we just don't feel like writing or we feel our day wasn't really interesting enough to jot everything down, and those are the days that we can choose to either tuck our journals away in our desk drawers and leave them be until something exciting comes up, or we can use those days to get our creative juices flowing.
There are endless possibilities when it comes to the type of things you can do when you're not writing in your journal, but a few of my personal faves are practicing hand-lettering by writing out some of my absolute favorite inspirational quotes with watercolors or markers, putting together some collages of people and things that I really love, or making nicely decorated lists of all the different things I would like to accomplish in life.
note: if you are someone who plans to do mixed media, I recommend investing in a book with thicker paper. There's nothing worse than when you start having fun with paints, glue, watercolors, and sharpies, then it begins to bleed through onto your other pages. It's heartbreaking. So make sure you choose wisely and select the kind of journal that will work best for your needs.
3. YOU CAN SAVE YOUR MEMORIESThere are endless possibilities when it comes to the type of things you can do when you're not writing in your journal, but a few of my personal faves are practicing hand-lettering by writing out some of my absolute favorite inspirational quotes with watercolors or markers, putting together some collages of people and things that I really love, or making nicely decorated lists of all the different things I would like to accomplish in life.
note: if you are someone who plans to do mixed media, I recommend investing in a book with thicker paper. There's nothing worse than when you start having fun with paints, glue, watercolors, and sharpies, then it begins to bleed through onto your other pages. It's heartbreaking. So make sure you choose wisely and select the kind of journal that will work best for your needs.
I think I'm always going to have a strong love for going through old diaries of mine from childhood. Through a lot of random doodles, a ton of glitter glue and some very poor spelling, I always end up discovering so many long forgotten, silly little memories and heartwarming stories that will never cease to make me laugh or sometimes even cry, and by keeping a journal today you're continuing to document more memories throughout different stages of your life, and as you grow older, it'll be something special to look back on.
Naturally, as much as we'd like to, we'll never be able to remember every single thing that has happened to us throughout our lives. But, with each moment you choose to write down, whether it be something funny that happened to a family member, a touching moment with a friend, or even some photos with a short caption that would spark a few interesting stories, it's all instantly saved and will be around for as long as you keep the journal itself, and just imagine being able to share these thoughts, stories, and pictures from when you were younger with your own kids or even grandkids somewhere down the line, now that would be pretty darn special.
4. IT HELPS RELIEVE YOUR ANXIETYNaturally, as much as we'd like to, we'll never be able to remember every single thing that has happened to us throughout our lives. But, with each moment you choose to write down, whether it be something funny that happened to a family member, a touching moment with a friend, or even some photos with a short caption that would spark a few interesting stories, it's all instantly saved and will be around for as long as you keep the journal itself, and just imagine being able to share these thoughts, stories, and pictures from when you were younger with your own kids or even grandkids somewhere down the line, now that would be pretty darn special.
I can't stress enough how crucial it is to take proper care of your mental health in order to start living a happier and more successful lifestyle. If you are dealing with anxiety or experiencing a similar issue, then journaling could actually be quite effective, allowing you to take another step further in learning how to cope and finding simple ways to keep your sanity intact.
Sometimes the road to self-improvement can be a long one, but the key to development in this area is keeping close track of your progress, and I've discovered this to be a very beneficial way to do so. When I feel anxious, the best thing I can do for myself is sit down, and describe in detail what exactly I thought it was that lead me to feel such a way which helps me to identify the problem more quickly and efficiently.
After keeping up with this routine, writing with every moment I feel anxiousness coming on, I've been able to learn what some of my biggest triggers are so I can deal with them more head-on, and practice keeping calm in situations that are more difficult for me to hold myself together in. Then, over time I look back at previous journal entries and begin to see all of the situations I've overcome and reflect on the moments I thought were a big deal, but actually weren't, these little things really do help.
Sometimes the road to self-improvement can be a long one, but the key to development in this area is keeping close track of your progress, and I've discovered this to be a very beneficial way to do so. When I feel anxious, the best thing I can do for myself is sit down, and describe in detail what exactly I thought it was that lead me to feel such a way which helps me to identify the problem more quickly and efficiently.
After keeping up with this routine, writing with every moment I feel anxiousness coming on, I've been able to learn what some of my biggest triggers are so I can deal with them more head-on, and practice keeping calm in situations that are more difficult for me to hold myself together in. Then, over time I look back at previous journal entries and begin to see all of the situations I've overcome and reflect on the moments I thought were a big deal, but actually weren't, these little things really do help.
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It's easy to underestimate the power of doing something simple like this every day, especially when it can take up such little time. But the simplicity of journaling is exactly what makes it such a wonderful thing to have in your life because we all know that when taking care of ourselves, the honest truth is that we probably won't make the time to fit it into our schedules if it were more complex.
With all that being said, thank you so much for reading! I hope that at the very least one of you beautiful people out there were able to walk away from this little article with the urge to start journaling, and I pray that it will help you as much as it has helped me. Now, go enjoy the rest of your day and stay happy!
With all that being said, thank you so much for reading! I hope that at the very least one of you beautiful people out there were able to walk away from this little article with the urge to start journaling, and I pray that it will help you as much as it has helped me. Now, go enjoy the rest of your day and stay happy!
Journaling is so helpful for my anxiety! I'm a paper and pen kind of girl, but I switched over to my phone so I could start writing anywhere and anytime anxiety hit.
ReplyDeleteThat's also a really great idea! Sometimes I'll use my iPod to keep notes of what I'd like to put in my journal at a later date. Super helpful! Thank you for reading!!!
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