Most of us have experienced the benefits of journaling at some point in our lives, most likely through our pre-teen and teenage years, at the very least.

But journaling isn’t something that’s just meant to guide you through your youth…

It can be a worthwhile tool that can enhance your life throughout your journey.

Many famous figures and business officials are now talking about the positive effects journaling has had on them and how important they find it. From stress management to mental and emotional health, the benefits of journaling are irrefutable.

So why exactly should you go out and start journaling? Why waste your precious time on this? Why put aside part of your day to reflect?

A little time out of your day can lead to some pretty crucial improvements in your mental, emotional, spiritual, and even physical states.

Journaling allows you to open your mind and helps you explore your current experiences.

Unclutter Your Mind

Our minds are going all day long. Internal dialogue, processing, mental chatter, worry, and other thoughts are prevalent almost all the time.

“I need to pick up milk at the grocery store…Did I ever return that call…I think I was too harsh with my friend on the phone…should I look into which brand of milk I’m buying…why do I always miss that exit…oh shoot, I forgot to wash that shirt I need for tomorrow’s job interview…I hope they like me…I should budget for laundry from now on….why was I so harsh on the phone…?”

Sound familiar?

By taking time to write out what your mind has been dealing with, you give yourself the opportunity to organize your thoughts and solidify what you’re actually thinking.

Having a journal allows you to manage those contemplations and reflect on what you actually feel.

Maybe you really do need to look at why you were so harsh on the phone with your friend, and maybe you’re really worried about getting that job.

Journaling will help you to clear away the superficial thoughts and focus on what’s really going on in your head.

Benefits of Journaling #1: One of the most healing benefits of journaling is increased mental clarity.

Fresh Perspectives

When your thoughts are jumbled, everything feels like it blurs together.

Emotions feel overwhelming and thoughts pour out without control. This is especially problematic in arguments or times when you’re hurt.

But when your mind is clearer and your thoughts are organized, you can look at situations more rationally and understand what’s really going on. You can see where you went right and wrong in a situation with distance and a slower pace.

It’s easier to see your choices on paper and decide what really happened.

Benefits of Journaling #2: Being able to step back and analyze situations that are complicated or difficult is one of the benefits of journaling that can enhance the relationships in your life.

Imagine that you’re having a fight with a loved one. By taking time apart to process what you’re feeling, you give yourself the opportunity to see both party’s perspectives clearly. This can help you identify where both of you are coming from.

This clarity and awareness of the situation can lead you to realizations that heal arguments and save relationships.

Make Your Choices Count

We are always setting goals and taking action.

Benefits of Journaling #3: Journaling allows you to look back and reflect on the decisions you’ve made. Each choice can have positive and/or negative repercussions; journaling allows you to track that in a clear way.

Then you can look back on choices and see how they turned out.

Or you can immediately record a decision you liked and want to repeat, or one you don’t want to make again. This helps you stay on track with how you want situations to play out.

You are more likely to make more decision you like when you’re writing out why some helped you and others didn’t.

By documenting the actions you took towards your goals, you can more clearly see how to stay on the fast track to achievement.

Benefits of Journaling #4: Through tracking your actions, journaling can help you reach your goals more quickly.

Self Acceptance Through Self Expression

We all go through rough situations, get mad, make mistakes, get hurt, and overreact.

We all have embarrassing thoughts, hidden worries, undisclosed dreams, personal feelings, and secrets we don’t feel ready to share.

Having a safe space to express everything you’re feeling, no matter how bad or good, allows you to get it out in a constructive manner. From there, you can react more ideally in real life, or be more at peace with where you are.

Benefits of Journaling #5: One of the benefits of journaling is having a place to express your thoughts that help you process information and accept yourself, without outside influence or judgment. This enhances your emotional health.

Without judgment, we can really look at what’s going on inside of ourselves and delve into the heart of it.

When we get to the root of what we’re feeling, without the pressure of other people’s opinions, we are able to fully experience what we need to explore within ourselves. This leads us to growth based on our personal truths.

Benefits of Journaling #6: Journaling is just as unique to you as your emotional journey is. Journaling allows you to capture your internal personal story.

Look Inside

With the freedom of self-exploration, and time set aside to really work through your thoughts, you get to understand and know yourself more intimately.

Understanding yourself is a beautiful way you can experience the benefits of journaling.

Benefits of Journaling #7: By taking time out of your daily life to focus on where you are, how you’re feeling, and what’s important to you, you will find that you have a greater understanding of yourself.

Journaling helps you discover details about what’s going on inside that you might overlook in your busy schedule.

It helps you look deeper into yourself than you might in normal circumstances. And when you understand yourself, your life improves dramatically.

Breathe In; Breathe Out

Stress is bad for you.

New research comes out every day proving it’s detrimental to your health and harmful to your happiness.

And no one is surprised.

Benefits of Journaling #8: One of the most physically impacting benefits of journaling is the reduction of stress.

Just the meditative qualities alone are amazing for you! Sitting and focusing on a daily task will help you find peace and ease your worries.

Couple that with self-acceptance and mental clarity, and you’ve got a powerful force for good in your life!

Being at peace with your thoughts dramatically reduces your worry and fear, which allows you to be more involved with your life from moment to moment. Focusing on being mindful of your present situation allows you to be more engaged and happier.

Finding relief from stress is one of the benefits of journaling that will take a little time and consistency, but if you can build that habit, you’ll see a very positive difference!

Let Go Of Dwelling

Finally, once you’ve written out all your thoughts, you have a great opportunity to move on from them.

Journaling helps you to move on and not get stuck dwelling and worrying about the past.

It allows you to feel like you’ve fully purged your thoughts and explored your feelings.

Benefits of Journaling #9: One of the emotional benefits of journaling is being able to release the need to dwell on unhappy past experiences.

Being able to leave your worries and negative feelings behind in a safe and constructive place allows you to move on with your day and continue to make positive memories.

You’re not suppressing your hard moments; you’re working through them.

When we keep all of our thoughts in our head, we tend to revisit them over and over, working them out slowly and subconsciously. And that’s a tiring and draining process!

But when we sit down to write out what we’re feeling, we’re making a conscious decision to work through things. We are able to focus on it, get what we need from it, and then move away from it.

Benefits of Journaling #10: You won’t risk neglecting the knowledge you can gain from your experiences, even the negative ones, and will still be able to leave the past in the past.

You Can Easily Enjoy The Benefits Of Journaling

One of the best things about journaling is how accessible it is!

We’ve compiled a list of some of the best ways to find a good journal.  From popular apps, to our favorite brands.  It’s all there to help you get started!

So enjoy finding time to sit and write out your thoughts and experience the positive benefits of journaling in your life.