8 Amazing Benefits of Journaling

I think it's interesting to learn about famous people throughout history. Three of the people who fascinate me are Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Leonardo da Vinci. Do you know what they all have in common? They each kept a journal or diary recording their experiences, thoughts, or feelings.

Keeping a journal can help you in a number of ways, whether you are a scientist or an artist – or someone in between. Journaling can be an excellent tool for practicing self-care. Below, I have listed 8 ways that keeping a journal can be a benefit to you.

1. Organize Your Thoughts

Do you ever become overwhelmed by the number of thoughts running through your head? If so, you’re not alone. Journaling is a productive way to gather your thoughts and calm your mind. You can free-write whatever comes to mind, make a list of your thoughts, or do whatever feels right for you. Just by getting your thoughts down on paper (or on a screen), you help calm your mind and your thoughts.

2. Set and Achieve Your Goals

Using a journal to set and achieve personal or professional goals (or both) is an excellent way to keep track of your intentions. Be specific when writing them out. This will help you stay accountable and serve as a visual reminder of what you need to do in order to reach your goals. One suggestion is to journal in the morning while you sip your coffee or tea. This would also help you to set your intentions for the day.

3. Track Growth & Progress

If you regularly write in your journal, you can go back and see the progress or growth you’ve made by going back and reviewing your previous entries. This will help to keep you motivated as you see your growth and success.

4. Improve Self-Confidence

Keeping track of your progress can also be a great self-confidence booster. Seeing where you started and how far you’ve come provides you with a sense of accomplishment and will also motivate you to continue to make positive choices in order to reach and maintain your goal. It can also boost endorphins in your brain, which improves your mood.

5. Reduce Stress & Anxiety

Do you ever hear negative thoughts over and over in your head, running on a loop? Although it may not be an ideal situation, these thoughts make it even worse than it is. This can be very stressful. Writing your feelings down can help release them from replaying over and over in your head. You may even possibly come up with a solution you weren’t able to think of before just by writing it all down.

6. Improve Communication & Writing Skills

When you journal every day, you are practicing the art of writing. Just like anything else, writing improves with practice. Using your journal to express your thoughts and ideas helps you improve your communication skills.

7. Increase Levels of Creativity

There is a style of journaling that is called “stream-of-consciousness” writing that when practiced, may bring thoughts and ideas to the surface more quickly and allows you to become more expressive with your language and communication. This style helps keep you “in the moment” and helps to spark creativity.

8. Self-Reflection

Journaling is an excellent way to take a step back and reflect on ourselves. Whether we choose to reflect on what we have accomplished for the day or on our gratitude for what we have, write it down in your journal. A good time to do this is when you are winding down from your day and will soon be going to bed. Over time, you can look back in your journal and reflect on how we’ve changed and ways we can further improve ourselves. I recently purchased this journal, and I am so excited to start using it!