You see journals everywhere. People post it all over social media, and your therapist might even recommend it! Even the most historically significant individuals, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Frida Kahlo, Marie Curie, and Albert Einstein, kept journals. The reason behind this isn’t just because it’s trendy – it’s because journaling is a powerful tool used for improving well-being, self-growth, and creativity. 

1. Journaling Helps Clear Your Head

Imagine after a long day, you’re feeling all sorts of emotions: anger, sadness, anxiety,  and you have no one to talk to or just don’t have the energy to talk to anyone. Journaling can help with that. Especially at this time in the world right now, things can get very chaotic and overwhelming, and this can take a toll on your health. Life is already full of surprises, and it’s extremely easy to feel all sorts of emotions. Journaling helps you navigate those emotions. When you just want to express your feelings or vent, you can do that in a journal. Bottling your emotions can be harmful  – think of a balloon. A balloon can’t expand forever, and eventually it can’t take too much and it’ll burst. That’s the same case for us. We can’t hold onto things forever. We can’t just store all our emotions in our heads because it’ll end up building up, and eventually, we’ll explode. Journaling helps release stress and anxiety, and it’s fantastic for improving mental health. 

2. Journals Help You Express Yourself

When you’re journaling, you’re taking your thoughts and feelings and writing them down in your journal.  You’re not doing it to impress anyone or anything, so it shows your true self and a real you. Your journal is your canvas, and you can write anything in your journal. You don’t always have to write about your day if you don’t want to. You can just write a letter to yourself or make a page just about you. A journal is about expression. It can even help you discover yourself. Every time you journal, it encourages you to reflect on your thoughts, which can help you discover things about yourself that you didn’t think about previously. For example, let’s say you journal after you got into an argument with someone dear to you. Journaling encourages reflection, so maybe as you’re journaling, you start to realize, “Was I too harsh?” or “Maybe I overreacted.” This allows you to think differently and helps you navigate your problems because it gives you a new perspective. You can think about how to handle things differently. When you’re journaling, you’re being vulnerable, and this pushes you to learn about parts of yourself that you might not have noticed before. 

3. Journals Are Like Time Capsules

If you start journaling now and get into this consistent habit of journaling, you’ll have so many journal entries to look back on when you’re older. You can read back on your old journal entries and reflect on how far you’ve come and grown as a person. Your journey might be sad or happy, but it shows how things have changed or stayed the same throughout your life. Maybe you’ll become a completely different person, and your journal is a reflection of that. Your journal is living proof of your growth as you navigate through your life’s triumphs and challenges. 

So, how do you start? Well, it’s simple, really. All you need is somewhere to write on. You can use your notes app on your phone, an app for journaling, a notebook, or pieces of paper, and you can even use Google Docs. Anywhere you want, as long as you can write on it. Next, try to be consistent. Personally, I am not consistent with journaling because I find it difficult to stay consistent. However, if you want to try to stay consistent, it is suggested that you set a schedule for journaling. It can be when you wake up every day or before you sleep, and it doesn’t matter if it’s 5 minutes or 30 minutes, there’s no limit. It’s okay if you’re not consistent with journaling. Just write whenever and whatever to your heart’s content.