What is the last thing you do before you go to bed? I found myself scrolling through social media for half an hour, at a minimum. Then, right before I’d close my eyes, my mind would go wild. I reflect on the day, look at the past, and think of all the “what ifs” in life. All these thoughts just ate at me, costing me my beauty sleep.
For the past month, I’ve implemented something new into my nightly routine. Something to help lift the weights off my shoulders and, allow me to fall asleep faster. My solution: journaling. Right away you may think “I’m such a bad writer there is no way I could journal.” My response to that is you don’t have to be good at writing! There are many different kinds of journaling for you to choose what’s best for you. Along with there being many kinds, there are also many benefits to journaling.
Benefits to Journaling
As mentioned before, I feel much lighter after a journaling session. My mind is clear which allows me to fall asleep faster and improve my sleep quality. Depending on your journal style, you can also let your creativity run wild. Some doctors may suggest you keep a journal to log whenever you feel a certain way. Other times you just need to get something personal off your chest and rather not talk about it with anyone. Journaling can also:
- manage anxiety
- reduce stress
- increase emotional intelligence
- improve communication skills
- help in the healing process
We all go through tough times but, sometimes we don’t feel comfortable talking about it with someone else. Putting your feelings into words can be hard, especially when you’re trying to talk to someone. While journaling, you can take a moment to reflect, and then you can write down your feelings.
Shaking the Journal Jitters
You don’t have to be a good writer to journal. The nice thing about journaling is that there are zero rules you have to follow. No one else is going to read your journal unless you choose to share. While you’re writing, don’t worry about spelling mistakes, grammar, capitalization, or any other rules. Just write like a mad man. Here are some tips to help kick off your journaling.
- Customize Your Journal. We aren’t going to want to journal in public if we are too afraid to pull out a journal decorated from the second grade. Buy a journal that you like and customize it until you love it. Use a different colored pen for each entry or, press flowers between the pages. Anything you do to make you love the journal will make you want to write in it more.
- Bring your journal everywhere. I know earlier I was talking only about journaling before bed but, who knows when you are going to strike a thought and want to write it down? I carry my journal with me everywhere I go because it is right on my laptop. I downloaded a journaling app onto my MacBook that allows me to journal anywhere. The app can only be accessed through a password so I know no one will be able to get in. It is very easy to pull out my laptop anywhere and start journaling my thoughts.
- Don’t reread your entries. One time I went back a reread one of my older entries and it brought back all the feelings that took a great while to forget. I use journaling to get my thoughts out and keep them out. Rereading the past did quite the opposite for me. If you plan to use your journal for this reason, I recommend not rereading the past.
I can be bad at explaining my emotions. I also tend to bottle things up and just try to forget about them. All the things in the bottle were preventing me from being happy. As I’ve started journaling I noticed I fall asleep better and do a better job of not hiding my feelings. I suggest putting journaling into your nightly routine and see what kind of difference it can make for you.
I’ve considered making journaling a habit for a while, but I’ve not done it mostly because it’s another thing to add to my daily routine, which is already crammed. I liked what you said about there not being any rules tho – that takes the pressure off. Even if I only have time to write a couple sentences, nobody is grading it haha.
The unique the “dont reread journals.” I feel like I would have a hard time with that part. This is a very interesting blog this week. I have many friends who journal their days. I do agree It does seem to help reduce anxiety and stress. Like you’re living a day at a time almost. Really cool stuff! Cant wait for next weeks.
I think that journaling is a great way to vent your feelings or thoughts. Sometimes, people won’t be there to listen or choose not to listen. Writing it down is a great substitute to that. The paper is essentially your other person listening while you explain thoughts, ideas and feelings. I think that writing down how you feel is healthy and allows you really express yourself without the fear of other judging you.
I have never thought about journaling, but it seems to help, and it is something I am willing to try. It seems like a good way to vent without having to tell people what you are going through.