The Power of Journaling
Marie Curie, Ralf Waldo Emerson, Frida Kahlo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Emma Watson, and Lady Gaga. What do all of these people have in common? First, they’ve all achieved amazing things and will live forever through their art and work. Second, they all kept (or still keep) a journal.
Journaling isn't just for teens to record the dramas of growing up. It's an ancient form of meditation and mindfulness that has been around since the 10th century—and there's good reason for it. Journaling has been medically proven to boost mental health, lower stress, improve your memory, and even boost creativity.
The benefits don’t end there, though. Journaling drives you to consciously think about how you feel and forces you to apply words and descriptions to what you see and do. It helps you to understand your thoughts and allows time for self-reflection. That’s a critical trait for anyone who wants to live a full life. Socrates says, “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom,” because the better you know yourself, the better equipped you are to lead others, make decisions, and effect positive change in your life. And how does one get to know thyself? By journaling.
The level of mindfulness you achieve through journaling has great creative benefits. After all, journaling is only a short step away from songwriting or drafting a story. Once you get in the habit of describing the world around you through words, you’ll be better equipped to capture ideas and emotions through other art forms. Crafting a narrative of life’s moments for yourself through journaling is great preparation for successfully conveying those same stories to others through art.
I know what you’re saying next, though: I just don’t have time or I don’t know where to start or maybe even It feels silly. If you fall into any of those categories, here are three tips to get you going:
Start with just one sentence. Seriously, just write one sentence a day describing one thing. Then, build over time. The next week, write two sentences. After that, make a goal for one paragraph. The more you put in, the more you get out. You don’t have to write a novel to reap the benefits, though—even inconsistent journaling has been shown to net some positive mental effects.
Either free-write or pick a specific topic. Some people are good at putting on paper whatever is on their mind at the moment. Others, however, tend to need a little more guidance. That’s ok. Pick a specific topic to write about. “Gratitude journaling”—where you write about something or someone that you are thankful for—is really popular and will help you develop a positive outlook. There are also plenty of online writing resources that can provide you with daily writing prompts. Inspiration is just a Google search away!
Carry a pocket journal. We’ve talked about the benefits of handwriting letters here before. The same goes for journaling. Both Moleskine and Field Notes make great pocket-sized notebooks. The latter also sells an inexpensive leather cover that looks very classy yet simple. Always having a notebook within reach makes it incredibly easy to jot down a few sentences when you just need a quick five-minute break or distraction. It’s also a great way to kill time when waiting for a meeting to start, at the bus stop, the doctor’s office, etc.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what your style is, how often you journal, whether you use paper, a computer, or phone. It doesn’t even matter what you write, really. What’s most important is that you go and write.
