The Joys of Journaling: Benefits of Journaling, Six Ways to Journal, & Journal Prompts
If you’ve been to therapy, follow mental health social media pages, or are a human on this Earth, you’ve probably heard the suggestion to journal.
It’s recommended so frequently because it is helpful - but why is it helpful? In this blog post, I’ll cover why journaling is helpful, different ways to journal, and a few journal prompts to help get you started or continue your journaling journey.
Why Journaling
With my clients, I talk about different forms of journaling so frequently that I sometimes feel like a broken record, but it’s talked about so frequently because it is helpful.
Writing out your thoughts and emotions allows you to process them in a different way than keeping them inside and even different than talking about them. Because you use your hand to write (or type), it forces your brain to process the information in a more detailed way (this is also why it’s helpful to write down things that you want to remember).
Writing can also help you work through the process of accepting your thoughts, emotions, and circumstances as they are, without judgment or resentment. Because it can help you come to terms with difficult things in your life, it can also help improve your immune system and decrease amount of time for injuries to heal by lessening the impact of stress on your physical health.*
Here are some
other benefits:
Sleep better
Improve memory
Increase self-esteem
Increase creativity
Find patterns and identify triggers
Gain better understanding of your emotions
Get more in touch with yourself
Reflect and reframe to gain new perspective
Improve mindfulness and sense of gratitude
Learn from your experiences
Improve communication with others
Reduce stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression
Solve problems and work towards goals
A place to be unapologetically yourself
Different Ways to Journal
Maybe you’ve tried traditional journaling and found it difficult or unhelpful. Or maybe you haven’t tried it but it doesn’t sound appealing to you. If that’s the case, you’re not alone and one of these alternative methods may be a better fit for you.
The Brain Dump
This method is sometimes called free writing or free association. To brain dump, you write anything and everything that comes to your mind. It’s a great way to be unfiltered and get as many thoughts and emotions as possible out of you and onto the paper. It can be helpful to provide yourself with a set time limit when you first begin brain dumping.
Journal Prompts
A number of clients have expressed to me that the free style of journaling, such as the brain dump, feels overwhelming. They are not sure where to begin or what to write about. If you can relate to this, journaling with prompts may be a good choice for you.
You’ll find some prompts below and there are lots of free prompts available online. There are even journals pre-made with prompts in them. Lots of opportunities to find prompts that help you explore many different pieces of yourself. It is a nice way to write about things you likely wouldn’t otherwise without using the prompts.
Journal prompts can also be combined with any of the following methods to help provide you with some direction and deeper exploration.
Bullet Journal
Again, some people may find this method less overwhelming than brain dumping. A bullet journal is a collection of to-do lists, brainstorming, schedules, and reminders. This is a nice way to combine journaling, creativity, and organization. You can use your bullet journal to keep track of anything that is important to you from short- and long-term goals to gratitude and more.
Art Journal
Maybe writing isn’t your thing but drawing, painting, or doodling is. Try keeping an art journal instead by putting your thoughts and emotions on paper through art. Allow yourself creative freedom. Use various materials, methods, and art forms in your journal.
One Line Journal
Another reason I hear from clients is that they don’t have time to keep a journal. If that sounds like you, the one line journal is a great option. This method is just as is sounds - writing one line in the journal each day. If there is someone so busy that they don’t have time to write one line per day, I’d be shocked! This can be a great way to ease into journaling more and to help make a habit of journaling consistently. It is also a great way to achieve a sense of achievement by completing your one sentence each day.
Nightly Reflection
Journaling before going to sleep and reflecting on your day can be a great way to improve sleep and stay on top of checking in on yourself. Thoughts can often be the cause of difficulty with sleep. By getting your thoughts and emotions out on paper before sleeping, it can help improve your quality and quantity sleep.
Writing before you go to sleep can also help you make sure to check in with yourself at least once every day. Stress and other difficult emotions can add up - sometimes without even noticing it before it overflows and you find yourself crying uncontrollably on the way home from work one day. It’s important to check in with yourself before bed can help raise your self-awareness and take better care of yourself and your needs.
Journal Prompts
What is bothering you?
What is the most helpful thing you did for yourself today / this week?
What is one thing you want to for more self-care tomorrow?
How are you talking to yourself today? In a positive, helpful way or a critical, unhelpful way?
What can you do to improve your self-talk?
Name three things you are grateful for today.
List five things you love about yourself / about your body.
Who is the most helpful person in your life?
Who is a safe person to talk to about your emotions?
What do you need more / less of in your life?
Choose one goal. What steps are you taking to work towards that goal?
Just like anything else, journaling may not be for you, and that’s okay. There are many other ways to cope with thoughts and emotions. However, if you just think that it isn’t for you and you haven’t tried it yet, consider giving it a go. It may surprise you. Plus, as you’ve read in this blog, there are so many ways to do it, which helps increase the changes that there is a journaling method that you can connect with and gain the benefits from.
*https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-health-benefits-of-journaling#1