Why Journaling Can Enrich Your Life

WBC

With an increasingly fast-paced life it’s no surprise that journaling has somewhat fallen out of fashion in recent years. However, journaling has been proven to be beneficial for many aspects of mental health, and can be a great way to work on mindfulness.

Remember that journaling doesn’t have to be as old-fashioned as just writing things down. There are so many ways to incorporate reflective writing into your life, including via journal apps, meditation, and podcasting.

Here are the ways in which writing down your inner-most thoughts can improve your health and well-being:

Improves Memory

It’s easy to get lost in the throes of busy-ness, so taking some time with a journal to reflect on day-to-day events can be helpful in improving both short and long-term memory. Including sensory details about an event in your writing can significantly improve your overall accuracy in remembering that event. Consider writing down the sounds, smells and feelings you remember of a significant event. Studies back up the memory benefits of regular journaling on understanding the meaningful events in participants’ lives.

Heals the Mind

Journaling has long been an element of therapeutic practices designed to help people improve mental and physical health. The act of writing itself is a great way to focus on the here and now and helps digest your own lived experience. It’s a great way to get personal with your own thoughts and feelings and can help to sort through emotions.

Helps to Make Goals

The future can often be a challenging thing to think about, especially in periods of transition and change. Regular journaling can help you to recognise the things you value and to plan accordingly for a happy future. If you struggle with goal setting and understanding what choices to make in life, try recording your present thoughts and feelings to help isolate the things that drive and motivate you.

Aids in Reflection

Just as journaling helps with looking towards the future, it can aid in reflecting on the past. Reflective thinking is an important step in healing from the past and being comfortable in your own skin. Take some time to read over journal entries to learn from mistakes and understand what makes you who you are.