3 benefits of daily journaling

as a journal-obsessed girlie

Journaling (almost) daily has become one of my most important non-negotiable habits. I’ve come to love the quiet moments of pen to paper, the reflection, the ability to rehash a difficult day or record life changing elation. I have gone through countless journals in the past decade, some abandoned halfway through, but lately I’ve been filling each one to the brim with my innermost thoughts, my deepest fears, my sometimes unfounded anxiety, and my dearest triumphs. I cherish my morning practice, detailing my daily happenings and heartfelt emotions. I crave the moment when my favorite pen quickly fills page after page, thoughts rushing out too fast to capture. In the past decade, I’ve found nothing has changed my life quite like daily journaling. For me, the benefits of daily journaling include a sense of mental clarity, anxiety relief, and a way to keep detailed records of your life to look back on.

mental clarity

Dealing with difficult situations, complicated emotions, or trauma can cause unwanted stress and anguish. For many years now, I’ve used journaling as a tool to overcome these challenges. I’ve used a pen and paper to get my thoughts out of my brain and onto paper in front of me, to use journaling as a different lens to look at life through. I’ve made pro and con lists, made lists of goals, talked through situations I can’t always make sense of right away. From wedding planning troubles, to family drama, and doubts about becoming a good mother, I’ve talked through it all between the covers of my most prized possession.

The longer I continue my daily journaling practice, the more I use it as a tool to work through most of life’s challenges. I reach for my journal whenever I’m unsure about how I’m feeling or what I really want. It allows me to freely express myself and gain a new understanding of what my options truly are. As a quiet and sometimes self-conscious person, my journal gives me access to my uninhibited mind, a judgment-free oasis where I can truly “speak” my mind.

anxiety relief

I’ve always been a slightly anxious girlie, easily spiraling when stressed or worried, constantly questioning if I am making the right choices or will accomplish my goals. I worry about family and friends and the baby growing inside me, constantly thinking the worst when I don’t get a text or call back in a timely fashion. This anxiety seemed to worsen after getting married and my husband knows I need updates throughout the day or I can quickly become an anxious mess.

Journaling has helped with these feelings, allowing me to take a moment to breathe and reflect, giving me space to find the deeper meaning of these feelings. In times of high anxiety, I reach for my journal to work out why I may be worrying so much. I’ve even started a “baby journal” when I worry about her, writing her letters and updating her on what’s going on in her parent’s lives, expressing how excited we are to meet her. It calms me.

record keeping

Personally, my favorite aspect of daily journaling is the ability to look back on important life events and moments. I often make “spreads” showcasing a special day or a big trip, including mementos like tickets and photos, items to cherish and look back on fondly. I also detail smaller moments like nights in with friends or family dinners, beach days or local hikes, something sweet my cat did that day. This collection of moments collected between the covers of my journal allows me to have a record of my life, something to smile softly at when I’m old and gray, something for my children and husband to read one day, when I no longer need it.

I enjoy the thought of a record being kept of my young adult and adult life. I like being able to see exactly what I was doing on a random Tuesday three years prior. It gives me comfort to know the small things won’t be lost in the shuffle of a busy and ever changing life. It’s a beautiful way to keep track, to hold close my important and not so important memories.

If you haven’t thought about starting a journal, now is your time to think about it. And if you’ve thought about starting a journal, now is your time to start. Life passes us by so quickly and so confusingly. Writing down your thoughts and feelings, concerns or fears, experiences both good and bad, can be such a powerful tool in coming to terms with what it all means. Reflecting on and cherishing memories is a way to preserve the life you lead, a way to save your story to look back on and smile.