Journaling: How To Start & Why Is It Important 

Journaling is a personal activity where you keep records of your thoughts, feelings, experiences, insights, plans, and so much more.

You may be surprised that one of the best wellness tools today is keeping a diary.

Truth be told, journaling has so many health benefits from easing stress to sparking discovery.

Perhaps, during your younger years, you have kept a diary where you confess all your emotions and just jot down everything without any restrictions and rules.

That notebook has never made you feel judged, unheard, misunderstood, or even punished. It is a safe place.

However, as adulthood worries catch up on you, you may have stopped journaling knowingly or unknowingly and stopped finding ways to cope with stress in a healthy manner altogether.

With all the stressors lurking around us, especially as we age, we cannot deny that they can get us out of whack for the most part. 

We encourage you to go back and do it again no matter what you are doing right now, what your career is, or what your age is. 

If you haven’t tried keeping a personal journal before and would love to learn how to get started, you’ve come to the right place.

We are more than happy to help you find your groove and to also learn more about its wonderful benefits to your overall well-being.

How to Start Journaling

Try it on paper first. Trying it out on a piece of paper will not give you an overwhelming feeling as opposed to jumping right onto a nice diary notebook.

Get your groove and process the way your hand and mind work together as you express your emotions on that piece of paper. 

Make it a habit. Do not stress yourself about writing. It is not an external requirement but a self-love project.

If you dedicate at least 10 minutes every night before hitting the sack, that is already a big achievement.

Pick a time that is good for you and stick to it.

Keep it simple. There is no need to fuss about all the details. No one is going to dissect it.

It is not a research paper or a thesis that you have to submit to other people.

Just keep things simple and this is especially applicable for starters.

Follow your heart. There is no rule on what you should be writing in your journal. It is your own safe space.

Whatever and however you want to express your emotions, feel free to do so.

Don’t worry about sentence structure, spelling, and whatnot. If you don’t feel like writing, don’t force yourself.

If you want to spend more time on it because it keeps you calm, then do that too. You are in full control.

Get creative. Journaling can be through writing a poem or a letter, creating lists, drawing some art, or bullet writing.

You can place some self-love stickers on your journal.

Have a gratitude section. Simply listing down the things that you are thankful for is enough to get you back on track.

Write down that nice cup of coffee you enjoyed before going to work, that genuine smile from a stranger inside the elevator, the hearty meal you shared with the family, that cute little puppy who made your day, and so on.

List every little moment you can remember that made your heart feel warm.

Benefits of Journaling

Anxiety reducing

Researchers found that journals can help reduce anxiety, stress, and even depression.

Having an anxiety journal promotes increased feelings of well-being for people who are writing down their emotions and experiences for at least 15 minutes a day over a 12-week period.

Helps create awareness

When you write down your feelings, thoughts, or difficult situations, you are simultaneously calming yourself down and helping yourself understand them better.

When you are able to see your experiences into a particular structure (this time, in words) it allows you to form a new perception about your situation or certain events in life.

You are creating awareness for yourself.

It regulates emotions

Those who take journaling as part of their everyday lives have better control of their emotions.

Can speed up healing.

It can also have an impact on physical health. When you journal, you are learning how to let go of your stress, anxiety, and other flustering emotions that consume you in the long run.

When you write down your worries and emotions, you reduce the levels of stress in your body and therefore find more time to be happy. A positive mind produces a positive life. 

Improved self-expression.

Alongside the wellness benefits of journaling, you will learn how to express yourself better.

Writing is a very significant life skill that most people tend to overlook. Journaling is a powerful tool to learn more about the world, yourself, and your potential.

It also opens up your door and breaks down your walls when it comes to expressing yourself.

At Self-Love Overflow, our goal is to provide you with materials & resources to help take better care of your mental health. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us today.