Journaling is a powerful tool for expressing your thoughts and feelings freely, without the fear of judgement. Many people find it especially beneficial for managing stress, anxiety, and depression, as it provides a safe and personal space to explore and understand their emotions.
Wanting to fully understand its benefits, I challenged myself to journal every day for a month. I hoped this experiment would give me deeper insights into whether journaling truly has the potential to improve your life and benefits both physical and mental health.
What is journaling?
Journaling is the regular practice of writing down your thoughts, feelings, experiences, and reflections in a personal journal, whether in a physical notebook or digitally. It's a highly adaptable activity, offering benefits like emotional support, self-discovery, creative expression, and mental clarity.
Recently, journaling has surged in popularity on social media platforms like TikTok, especially among Generation Z. With its blend of aesthetic appeal and mindful reflection, journaling has evolved from a private ritual into a public movement, where users share how this daily habit helps them manage mental health and preserve memories.
What are the benefits of journaling?
Journaling offers many benefits and has become a daily practice for many. Writing can be theraputic, providing a space for self-reflection to better understand your emotions, reactions, and behaviours. This insight helps you handle life's challenges positively and healthily.
Some other key benefits of journaling include:
My key takeaways and tips to start your journaling journey
How did I start?
Starting a journal can feel intimidating, especially if you're new to the concept like I was, but it's all about finding what works for you. I made sure to set aside a few minutes each morning where I could sit at a quiet spot and write whatever came to mind. This routine quickly became a natural and enjoyable part of my day.
Tip 1: Try using journal prompts. If you aren't sure of the questions you should answer, here are some examples that I found helpful that you can use:
- What happened today?
- How do I feel today?
- How did I sleep last night?
- What can I be grateful for today?
- What did I learn today?
- What is holding me back?
- What decisions did I make?
How often did I journal?
While there is no one-size-fits-all answer, I began the month by setting a realistic goal: to journal for at least 10 minutes a day, either before bed or in the morning, three to five times a week. I remained flexible, allowing the time spent journaling to vary based on my mood, the events of the day, and my overall routine.
Tip 2: Establish a consistent, but flexible routine that helps integrate journaling into your daily life. This approach helps make journaling a beneficial habit that supports overall well-being without making it feel like a chore.
Improvement in my mental health
After a month of journaling, I definitely noticed an improvement in my mental health. Journaling provided me with an outlet for thoughts that were on my mind, helping me gain perspective on my feelings. Writing down my worries and concerns made them seem less overwhelming, and I found that I was better able to manage my emotions.
I made a point to include not only the challenges and negative feelings I experienced but also the positive moments and things I was grateful for. This practice helped shift my focus from what was going wrong to what was going right, prompting a more positive mindset.
Tip 3: Don't be afriad to write about topics that make you feel uncomfortable. Confronting difficult emotions on paper can help you make sense of them and reduce their hold over your mind, ultimately supporting better mental health.
Digital or physical?
I experimented with both digital and physical journals. Throughout the month, I found that taking a break from digital technology added to my experience and I found it more grounding and satisfying.
Tip 4: Experiment with what works best for you, and don't try and follow trends. This allows for a more personal approach to journaling that will ultimately create a better experience for you.
Working around my lifestyle
Some days, my entries were long and filled with thoughts and feelings, while other days, they were short and to the point. I learned not to be too hard on myself if I didn't have much to write. The important thing was staying consistent and making it a habit.
Tip 5: Work out how to slot journaling into your existing routine. Don't try anf force it, otherwise it will become unrealistic, and you'll want to quit. Try and make it something you look forward to doing within your routine.
Final thoughts
Overall, journaling had a positive impact on my wellbeing. Journaling gave me a safe space to explore my thoughts and helped me put my feelings into perspective. It allowed me to identify patterns in my behaviour and thinking that I wanted to change and by the end of the week, I felt more in tune with myself and more mindful of my emotions.
My plan moving forward
Given the positive effects I've experiences, I plan to continue journaling at least four times a week. Not only will this help me process my emotions and thoughts, but it will also give me the opportunity to look back on my previous entries to see how I've grown and changed over time. Journaling has proven to be a simple yet powerful tool for self-reflection and personal growth, and I'm excited to continue using it to enhance my mental and physical health.
If you're considering starting a journaling practice, I highly recommend giving it a try! You might be surprised at how something so simple can have such a profound impact on your life.