Why You Should Start a Journaling Practice

We've all been told that journaling is good for your mental health...and this is true! But how exactly does journaling help us? At the end of the day, adding another task might feel like more work on top of an already busy schedule. While we may rather just doom scroll with our free time, journaling can actually benefit us in the short and long term as an activity to build in to our routine. Let's look a little deeper into why we may want to start a journaling practice.

Journaling Regulates the Nervous System

If you feel tense and on-edge, have trouble sitting still and focusing, or experience mood swings and irritability, you may have a dysregulated nervous system. This just means your brain and body are stuck in "fight, flight, or freeze" mode, and need a reminder that you are safe. Journaling can actually help regulate our nervous system by activating the parasympathetic response. The slow, quiet process of writing in a journal encourages us to be mindful and focused; resulting in a regulated nervous system.

Journaling Reduces Stress and Anxiety

It is very common to ruminate on our stresses and problems, without actually getting anywhere. If you find yourself replaying conversations in your head, or have trouble falling asleep at night because your to-do list is causing anxiety, then journaling could help. The process of writing down our stresses and worries can help us gain perspective and move us closer to finding possible solutions. When we write down our to-do list, it reassures our brain that we can stop ruminating, and allow our thoughts to rest.

Journaling Helps Us Track Progress Over Time

If you have every attended therapy and worked on your own self-improvement journey, you know that progress takes time. Sometimes our progress is so slow and incremental, that we miss these changes altogether. By journaling our thoughts, feelings, troubles, and experiences, this allows us to ability to reflect and measure our progress over time. You may be pleasantly surprised by how far you've come when you keep a record of your progress!

Journaling Inspires Personal Growth

When we write our thoughts, feelings, actions, and circumstances out in a journal, over time we can begin to see patterns emerge. Maybe we begin to notice a certain relationship repeatedly causes feelings of sadness or distrust. Or maybe we notice repeatedly choosing a certain type of friend or romantic partner leaving us hurt or unsatisfied. Perhaps we notice similar problems recurring due to our job. By writing in a journal over time, patterns can emerge that we may want to change. This helps us move forward in a productive way, inspiring us to make changes for our own personal growth.

Have I convinced you yet? If so, I have exciting news...Mindful Empowerment has its own published journal! This journal is available in physical copy (pick up in Royal Oak, MI), or in a downloadable pdf version.

Purchase your Guided Journal by Mindful Empowerment here