I have been journaling or keeping a diary on and off since I was young. Do you remember the diaries that had little padlocks on them? Thinking it was so safe locked, turns out, a little fiddle with a hair pin and the thing popped open ha ha!
As I have grown up writing in a diary, I think that is where my love of writing really started. It is something I have continued to do and have found it to have so many benefits. I have written a list of some of the benefits you can have from journaling as part of your self care routine, stationery self care activities are some of the best.
See if you can relate to any of these?
1. Relieves Stress
Having somewhere to write down about a bad or stressful day, can help you get all your stresses or anxieties out of your head and onto paper. It can give you a sense of relief. It then gives you an opportunity to read through them and work through them. I have used journaling for this purpose before, especially if I have had a bad day at work.
2. Allows you to practise mindfulness
Writing in a journal helps you to practise mindfulness, being aware and acknowledging your thoughts and feelings. Using my journal to write down what I am grateful for can be so grounding and humbling.
3. Inspires creativity
Journaling can motivate you and overtime can build your confidence with writing. It allows you to explore your cognitive and emotional areas of your mind. This unlocks and boosts your creative side. Once I have journaled in some capacity, I always am much more inspired and usually end up writing or designing in my bullet journal. Thats why I like to journal in the mornings, so I start of the day in a productive and positive way.
4. Improves your writing
Consistently writing in a journal can help you develop your writing style. It gives you an opportunity for you to develop good writing habits and developing your writing skills. I am always changing and develop how I write my blog posts. Look back at your first blog post you scheduled and then at your latest post, see a difference?
5. Helps to boost memory
Journaling helps you keep your brain in tip-top shape. It boosts memory and comprehension which means it also increases your working memory capacity, that will help improve your cognitive processing. By journaling regularly you will also be able to look back on reflect on these memories.
There are a variety of benefits to journaling, you may even experience other helpful benefits. There are a variety of different styles that you can journal with to suit everyone. You have to find a form of journalling that works best for you. I prefer a notebook and pen, another excuse to shop for stationery ha ha!
I love journalling, it helps me clear my head whenever i feel choke up. I do not use diaries and fancy books tho, i use A4 sheets and pencils or a pen depending on how i feel at the moment. Its like therapy to me
Thank you for reading and commenting. Can you link your blog
Writing is the best!
You tend to write similar to how you think, but thinking is tough to change through training. Writing gives you the power to take something unconscious (e.g. the language you use, subconscious tendencies, other thought patterns) and gain conscious control over it.
It is a beautiful way of slowing down the constant thoughts enough to consider them deeper.
Great list!
I have ALWAYS loved journalling, especially because it helps me relax and also because it helps me get accustomed to writing as often as every day.
I used to write in a hardcover journal when I was much younger. But because of its lack of privacy and limited space, I started using online journalling apps instead. Still, even with their advantages over hardcopy journals, I still prefer writing with a pen and paper. It’s much easier and more natural for me to express myself that way.
I prefer writing with a pen and paper too. That’s great you find journaling works well for you
Wow this was SO for me!🤗🤗 I’ve never been able to keep a diary all these years but suddenly I started one last year and I’ve been so obsessed with it ever since. It’s so good!! But I guess when I’m not writing, I tend to overthink about it- as in “why write at all, no one’s going to read it anyway.” Not that I would want them to, in the first place, but say even this morning, it felt kinda pointless.
Thank goodness I read this in time because now I feel good about the whole thing all over again!❤❤ And yess. It really helps in mindfulness 🤩🙌
That’s great you are feeling good about journaling. It’s such a useful tool to work through your thoughts and feelings x
I have an art journal, bullet journal, junk journal, quotes journal, and journals that I haven’t figured out what to do with yet! I am addicted!
That sounds great!
Thanks for sharing dear.
I love journaling, it helps me clear my ever cluttered thoughts. I manage my thoughts all in one piece. I downloaded Evernote app, it’s really good and easy for me to use. Thank you for sharing
Thank you for reading and commenting!
I love the exercise of looking at your first blog post compared to your most recent one; that is a wonderful way to see change!
I journal in doodles and random words at times, and sometimes I just write. I have always had a fancy for cute locks but recently I have been loving leather-bound unruled books. 🙂
That sounds great! Everything works differently. It’s great that you have found something that works for you
the extent of my journaling so far has been as a release, to just get all the thoughts out of my head and onto paper so i can deal with them another time – i like the idea of journaling for mindfulness, to remember the positive things too
That’s great it works well for you. Can you link your blog so I can read
I love journaling, list writing anything that involves pen to paper, a stress reliever and best way to keep memories. A great post thank you!
Sarah
http://Www.simplysarahjayneloves.com
Thank you!
I find that writing things down helps you remember them better. I keep a note of what I’ve done etc day to day. It’s not very creative at the moment though.
That’s good you have found something that works for you!
I can definitely see how beneficial it would be, wish I had the discipline to do it!
Loved reading this post.
Thank you for sharing your tips.
XOXO
Thank you
I have always loved journalling, like you since I’ve been doing it since I was a child. I used to write notes on my dad’s blackberry when I visited him so he bought me my own journal to write in all the time and I took it everywhere.
I’m a lot less consistent now but I still try to journal as much as I can because I find it so helpful! It’s great to find another journal lover.
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https://philippaclaire.com/
That’s great! Journaling is very important
I recently started journalling after seeing a talk by Neil Pasricha who wrote The Book of Awesome. He suggested writing for 15 minutes each day can boost happiness. I try to write down 3 positive things at the end of each day. A good habit to be in right now. I recently wrote a blog post on Gratitude with some of the ideas from my journal. https://boomerecocrusader.com/20-things-i-am-grateful-for-right-now/
Great post!
Thank you!
I love this post! Thank-you for sharing. I’ve never really been one for journaling but that might change now. I am definitely a creative person also! That might help to fuel the love for journaling.
Gemma | https://anoceanglimmer.wordpress.com/
Definitely give it a go!
I don’t really journal but I do have a notepad where I try and record the good things, and Flora has a happiness jar that she fills in fairly regularly. I loved reading how it improves your writing style – when I look back on my first blog post I can definitely see a difference, ouch! Lisa xxx
This is so true, writing deffo helps me clear my head!
That’s great!
I love all these points so much!! In my journal, I usually just write about what happened and what I did every day. I also have separate journals that I use when I want to write down more personal thoughts, or rant about things that frustrate me!
~Sam
Oh wow! That’s cool! Thank you for sharing!
Great post Lauren! Esp to encourage others to try journaling at a time when we need to find ways to keep us relaxed during lockdown. I believe a creative outlet is always good for the soul and mind! Helen
Definitely is so important to give it a try!
I don’t journal every day. When I journal I like to draw pictures and write inspiring quotes to help with inspiring me with more creative ideas.
I liked this post. Ah, I do remember those easy open diaries from my childhood! I find journaling helps me gain a different perspective on a problem I might have. It helps me to look at it more objectively.
Definitely is a great tool! Thank you for reading and commenting!
Thank you for reading and commenting! Can you link your blog so I can read x
Writing helps me uncover what I’m thinking, often without even knowing I’m thinking it.
Beautiful process, pairs so nicely with thought if any kind 🤔
Not a coincidence that writing is what philosophers did so frequently.
Thanks for sharing 😄
An electronic journal like http://www.casekeepers.com makes journaling quick and easy to do from anywhere. I use it daily.
Best way to start a good morning is by writing a journal.
BLOG- https://jenyscloset.wixsite.com/jenyscloset/post/plaid-mini-skirt
We travel full time, so I have kept a journal for the past four years about our travels. I’ve journaled in the past but because of moving, I didn’t keep the journals. I really wish I had them now. I would like to look back on things like when I got my dogs and how old they were.
That’s a shame you don’t still have them. Thank you for reading and commenting.
…And helps to collect some beautiful stationery. Do you think s blog can take the place of a journal?
No I journal different things than I blog, but that is just my opinion.
I’d like to start journaling in 2021! I think it would be fun to start being more creative.
Tash – A Girl with a View
Definitely give it a go. It is so beneficial. Even if it’s 5 minutes a day with a prompt.
I used to journal a lot back when I was younger and maybe I should get back into it! I did bullet journal for a bit and loved creating new pages and using colours. Thank for sharing x
Why not give it a try it might really help. Thank you for reading and commenting.
I used to journal and definitely need to get back to it! But I didn’t know it helps with memory and cognitive function. That makes me feel even more inspired.
I’ve journaled on and off for years. I agree, the benefits you listed are spot on. It’s also fun to go back and read journals from your past. It’s a good way to see how things have changed and at the same time, haven’t. I started journaling again (after a lapse) when the pandemic started because I thought it’d be interesting to look back on it down the road. It felt important to record the death numbers, so I’ve been doing that too, not every day, just days that I journal. Maybe that seems morbid to some, but to me, it feels like a small way to honor those who’ve died. Thanks for the post! Keep writing.
I don’t journal but I’ve been wanting to for a while now! I’m going to start soon and I’d love to use my journal as a sort of “brain dump” place. I think it would relieve a lot of stress for me xo!
Thank you for reading and commenting. Can you link your blog?
of course! http://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com 🙂
Oh, I so agree. I need to get more into journaling on a regular basis. I tend to have spurts and am inconsistent. Now, that I’m blogging I can see how writing every day and practicing with putting your thoughts into words is beneficial. Thanks for the read!
I hope this helps you and you get to journal more! Thank you for reading and commenting!