Journaling: Why It Should Be Your New Best Friend
What’s the latest and greatest in terms of wellness trends out there right now? Meditation, pilates, and green juice seem to come and go through a revolving door of popularity. Sometimes, The Grind takes up so much of our mental space, it feels easier to blindly choose what the masses are doing to decompress. It’s one less thing to think about.
Yes, moving your body and drinking water are always tried-and-true. But I’m here to make a case for one stress reliever you may not have thought about since you hid your sparkly notebook with the tiny lock and key under your pillow.
Yes, journaling. I promise it’s not as juvenile as you think. It also won’t make you feel pretentious (although I’m not judging if that’s your vibe).
TL;DR it’s beneficial, easy, and fun. But here’s a little more on that.
Let’s look at the benefits
I don’t think it would surprise anyone to hear that journaling is a healthy habit. But you could blanket a lot of things with the phrase “healthy habit” without giving it much of a second thought. Like kombucha, or savasana.
But it turns out, journaling is proven to regulate emotions, reduce anxiety, and even lower your blood pressure. Journaling could even be a tool to aid in processing trauma. In terms of casual perks you can also include:
Improved mood
Verbalized gratitude
Better sleep
Fewer absences from work
A sense of accomplishment
In my opinion, it’s a steal of a deal compared to whatever Gwyneth Paltrow is hawking.
Of course, if you’re looking to journal as a way to relieve a more serious mental health condition, you should seek out a professional. They can advise which specific types of journaling make the best tools for your needs.
It doesn’t have to be fancy, just consistent
Journaling can get as deep as you want it to be. It could be a dive into your stressors, a brain dump of your dreams, or a bullet-point list of the groceries you need this week. The important thing is to be consistent.
Maybe today you write about something that’s been giving you anxiety, and maybe tomorrow you write “I can’t be bothered today, Journal.” You don’t need structure, an abstract, H3s, or even the ability to spell well (what a buzzkill, my gosh) but you can make it fun. And you can make it you.
Either way, make it something you can keep coming back to, even without much inspiration. Sooner than you think, it’ll be something you want to come back to.
Manual mode not your thing? There’s an app for that
Arguably, this is my favourite point in this post. I am NOT a hard copy girl. My penmanship peaked in 5th grade, and I flourished when I got access to the school computer lab. Side note: remember computer labs?!
I currently use a journaling app called Day One (not sponsored. I wish). It counts your entries and keeps a streak, lets you add media, gives you helpful prompts, and even shows you a map of where you logged your entries and what the weather was like that day. I have the app on my phone and my computer so I can write something quick or long-winded and have it all sync to the same place.
These apps also ping you about posts from the past. One of the coolest parts of a journaling app is the easy reminiscing.
Habit today, time capsule tomorrow
I’ve been personally journaling for a few years, and when I first got notifications for past posts “on this day” I was elated. One thing about me? I love to reminisce. The older I get the more “back in my day! *shakes fist*” I am.
Staying consistent is great for the health benefits right now, but going back and reflecting on what you’ve been through is perhaps even better. Seeing your growth, empathizing with the old you, and taking those moments to be proud of yourself is the best feeling.
Or, if you’re not where you want to be in life, a year later, you can take it as a kick in the butt to charge forward (or you can silence that notification).
