7 Amazing Benefits of Writing a Journal

Lifestyle

Dec 4

“The habit of writing for my eye is good practice. It loosens the ligaments.” — Virginia Woolf

Do you keep a journal? I’ve spent years writing in journals of various forms and it’s my favorite writing practice. I have experienced so many benefits that I just have to share…hopefully you will be inspired to start or revisit your journal sooner than later!

1. Journal writing helps you think things through

I like to bike for miles, jump on my trampoline, throw slam balls and overthink things, which is my way of dealing with stress. I spend so much time in my head I forget where I am sometimes. That is a problem that I had to fix for my optimal wellness. Enter my journal habit…

Journal writing helps me wake up!

Writing about my inner life is a useful practice for getting ideas out of my head and onto the blank page. I began journaling about personal life problems (family, work or elsewhere) and found that it was a way to data dump, analyze, strategize and relax. It really works! AND my friends didn’t have to hear my junk and drama. It quickly became a habit I ran to because it was easy and effective. Want to give it a whirl?...(Need help with prompts and self-care mindfulness?)

Try these questions on for size:

“What went well yesterday?”
“What didn’t go well?”
“What could I have done better?”

2. Journal writing is like having a personal therapist on retainer

Anger. Jealousy. Disappointment. Anxiety.

These emotions surprised me while journal writing because I thought all was rosy in my garden before sitting down to write.

At first, I found negative thought patterns alarming. I was shocked by what was coming up from down deep. I was facing fears straight on.

Then I realized it’s okay to leave negative thoughts on the page because nobody else will read them.

Plus, it’s cheaper than handing over thousands of dollars to a fancy therapist! Serious BONUS! You can experiment with emotional dumps too…

Try:

“What am I angry about?”
“What disappointed me?”
“Why do I feel that way?”

3. Journaling gets you into the habit of writing regularly

I love to sit and write but since I tend to tear up so many first drafts, I’ll have to plant a small forest someday. But guess what?

Journal writing helps me get over the problem of lousy first drafts.

Let me explain:

You don’t have to worry about publication, criticisms or self-editing. Your entries are for you and you alone. Let that sink in.

You don’t have to rip anything up!

Now, if you haven’t journaled before, being honest on the blank page is tough. It takes time to develop a habit of writing entries regularly.

So, start by writing without expectation about your day. Sit and just let things flow. Don’t put too much effort behind it.

After all, who doesn’t like to talk about themselves?! Why not just take it for a test drive?...

Try:

“What did I accomplish yesterday?”
“What would I like to accomplish this week?”
“What ideas are on my mind?”

4. Journal writing is an ancient practice

You’re in good company.

Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Raymond Carver, John Cheever, Herman Miller, Vladimir Nabokov, Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf all kept journals.

And they did alright!

So, if you want to document your progress or even see how you’re improving at your writing skills, try keeping a journal too.

Try:

“What painful lessons did I acquire this week?”
“How can I avoid repeating my mistakes?”
“What should I stop doing?”

5. Reading old entries is enlightening

Our memories like to play tricks on us.

We imagine things that didn’t happen. We think back on old ridiculous dates with nostalgia. Or we tell ourselves it was a great holiday, when in reality, we ate too much and felt miserable and guilty for days.

When you read back in a journal entry, it hits you: “Oh yeah, that’s how it was.” And often chuckle and find joy in that pleasant moment of memory.

It’s also bizarre to read back on events you’d long forgotten like the time you got a B on a big test you spent all night studying for, and then wrote 3 pages in your journal about what a loser you were to not get a solid A after all that studying! The emotion comes right back…

Was I really that much of a type AAA? It would appear so!

Want to make a journal entry about your past journal entry to process the emotions?

Try:

“How should I have reacted in hindsight?”
“How are things different now?”
“What would I say to a younger version of myself?”

6. Journal writing helps you express gratitude

At the end of each journal entry, I sometimes write down three things I’m grateful for. Sometimes these are high-level things like my health or creating wealth.

On other occasions, I’m grateful for simple things like the smell of ocean air on my beach walk or the light of the moon through my window.

Expressing gratitude at the end of a journal entry is also an alternative to ranting and raving about the time a driver cut you off at the traffic light. Once you start listing things you are grateful for, it seems you can’t stop…

Try:

“What am I grateful for?”
“What do I value?”
“Who helped me?”

7. Journaling helps you find ideas to write about

Coming up with ideas for things to write about is a little like riding a bike, if you haven’t done it in ages, it’ll feel awkward and clumsy.

What’s worse…

New writers and bloggers often worry they don’t have ideas or complain about writer’s block. It’s easy to sit and stare at a page for too long.

And the answer?

Journal consistently and you’ll discover anecdotes you can use in your fiction and non-fiction. The flow will flow and the block will back down.

Your brain or your subconscious will start to look out for ideas if you prompt it with a bit of introspection regularly (the brain is a funny organ like that).

Plus, if you write just 300-words a day, you’ll write 3000-words in 10 days and, possibly, a whole journal of amazing life content in a year!

Sure a lot of those entries will be painfully personal, but you’ll find it to be the perfect therapy for your mind, body, and spirit. Not sure how to introspect?

Try:

“What’s on my mind?”
“What skills am I developing”
“What would I like to learn?”

So, now you may be inspired to jump on it and get writing right away. Why not? What’s needed you ask?...

Top Tools for Journal Writing

A notepad: Classic. Plain and simple.
Day One: a dedicated journaling app for Mac and iOS users
Journey: a diary app for Android
The Daily Stoic Journal by Ryan Holiday: Packed full of journaling prompts, I keep a copy on my desk for quick reference.
The Early Morning Pages by Julia Cameron: a guide to writing in the early hours
Onenote or Evernote: both are useful if you like tagging entries
WordPress: you can password-protect your entries. Hey now, some things are just plain private…