So why have so many famous, successful people spent time journaling and why should you do it too?⁠

The Science 

There have been numerous studies that have proven many benefits to journaling. Many of the benefits are related to your mental health, with a positive impact on your overall happiness and a reduction in anxiety being just two. 

In 1999, James Pennebaker and Janel Seagal found that writing about important personal experiences in an emotional way for as little as 15 minutes over the course of three days brings about improvements in mental and physical health. Extensive research revealed that peoples mental and physical health improved dramatically when they wrote down their emotional upheavals. 

Why? 

Well, one possibility is that by writing about emotions and emotional experiences, we become more conscious of them and then act accordingly to change. We can’t change what we don’t know about. That’s why therapy is so effective. Talking to someone about tragedy is a common occurrence and writing has the same effect. It is about being aware of emotions and feelings that enable us to change. 

A second theory is that writing is a form of self expression. Like dancing or singing, writing allows us to release our feelings on to the paper. The can unload our minds and enable us to look at them from a different perspective or with a different mindset. And when you can do that, you can find a way to overcome the obstacles and progress. 

The Benefits

Reduces Stress and Anxiety - Putting pen to paper and recording triggers and monitoring thoughts and behavioural patterns can significantly help reduce stress and anxiety. 

Boosts Memory and Cognitive Skills - Journaling empties your mind of your thoughts a feelings. The brain is a creative organ that is made for generating ideas, not remembering what you need to buy from the shops. By getting thoughts or lists on to paper, you are free to think about other, more important things. Also, when you write by hand, your brain processes it better and commits it to memory. 

Improves Sleep - Journaling before bed can help you sleep better. Reducing stress, anxiety and making you feel calm are all benefits that will help you sleep better, for longer. 

Reach Your Goals - Writing your goals down significantly improves the chances of success. By seeing them on the page, they stay in the forefront of your mind and you are more likely to act accordingly to achieve them. Journaling your goals will keep you accountable to yourself. Habit trackers, goal action plans and weekly reviews will help you stay on top and motivate you to take action to progress. 

Tips

Choose a journal that is attractive to you - By having a journal that you find visually appealing, you are more likely to want to write in it. Although any notebook will do, we are attracted to nice, shiny things, so a new, attractive journal is more likely to be used. 

Find a regular time to journal - Embed journaling into your routine. This will give you a higher chance of journaling if you do it straight before or after another regular task, such as cleaning your teeth or getting into bed. 

Start small - When you first start journaling don’t put any pressure on yourself. Keep your entries short, with whatever is on your mind. Get into the habit of just writing something. 

Use Prompts - Using prompts is a good way of getting pen to paper. It can sometimes be a struggle to know what to write about and prompts can solve this problem. 

Use Templates - Using templates can help you plan, monitor and record your entries. For example, using a habit tracker template will help you log and monitor your habit progress. 

Write freely - Your journal is your private space. Write freely without any worry that it will be seen by others. Be honest, be creative, be true to yourself and your feelings. 

Conclusion

Journaling is a very easy activity that can a have significant positive impact on your life. As you know, 1 in 6 people currently put pen to paper with their thoughts and feelings, a number that you would expect to be higher, considering all the benefits we have covered in this article. If you haven’t journaled, why not start today? Reap the rewards of expressing your emotions on the page, of doubling down on your ideas and cementing your goals. 

Happy journaling!