The Benefits of Journaling
For some of us, journaling is already a fun and relaxing activity. We may not even be aware that it is healing us inside and out. But it is! The benefits of journaling can have benefits on your health in a positive and calming way.
Studies have shown that journaling can help you sleep better, increase healing time, help process trauma, reduce stress and anxiety level, and have a mood boosting effect.
Improve your sense of gratitude
Boost your self-esteem and be more optimistic by keeping a gratitude list. Putting your focus on all the good things in life can have a life changing effect. A study found that this practice of journaling can also lower blood pressure, improve immune function, help you sleep better, and helps with depression.
Reflect and write down 3-5 positive things each day that you are grateful for.
Improve your mood
Clear your mind, reflect, and put things into perspective by journaling. Expressing our emotions helps us to better overcome them rather than bottling them up. Even in more extreme cases and trauma. Expressive writing helps people better handle symptoms of PTSD, lowers body tension and lessens feelings of anxiety and anger.
A study found that writing about your emotions is calming and makes you happier.
Get better sleep
Journaling a quick to-do list of 5 items right before bedtime can help tie up the day’s loose ends and helping you to fall asleep faster.
Writing down your positive thoughts, or stories, and refocusing your mind can help you get a more restful sleep.
Keep a bedside journal to improve your sleep.
Strengthen your immune system and help heal faster
Journal to give structure to your anxious feelings and help you to get past them. New studies show that journaling offers physical benefits to those battling terminal or life-threatening diseases. Journaling about trauma helps your body heal 4.4 times faster as well as helping older adults heal faster.
Write about stressful events to help make sense of tragedy and reduce distress.
Boosts your creativity and find your voice
When writing just for yourself, it can be very liberating. Doing so daily will keep you authentic and allow you to find your inner voice. Writing honestly is a form of self-acceptance. This can also lead to a creative space that allows you to freely brainstorm ideas, sketch, write a lyric, or a poem and let the artist within flourish.
Keep a journal of things that inspire you!
Sources
The Vanilla Papers put together a list of 18 benefits view the full list here. If you’re just getting started journaling, she’s got great tips for that too.
