As stationery lovers, there’s nothing quite like putting pen to paper and writing things down the good old-fashioned way. We’re big believers that keeping a daily journal or a diary is  good for the soul and to celebrate National Writing Day this Wednesday, it only seemed fitting to dive into the many benefits of journaling! From being a cathartic release and a much-needed boost for your well-being, read on to discover the benefits of journaling and how you can get started…

What is journaling?

Before we get stuck into the benefits of journaling, let’s chat about what journaling actually is. It’s essentially patterned writing and is pretty subjective! There’s no specific format you should stick to, but typically journaling is a regular entry written down in a journal or notebook where you write down your thoughts, feelings or ideas.  There are a few different formats you can follow if you’re looking for a place to start, such as our Gratitude Journal that features handy prompts or Morning Pages, which Martha tried for a month – you can read her account here.

6 powerful benefits of journaling

1. Reduces anxiety

According to studies, one of the benefits of journaling is reducing anxiety. When it comes to writing down negative emotions, it can help to better understand what you’re feeling at the time and understand where these issues might be coming from to avoid certain triggers in the future. As the old saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved and writing something down that is on your mind is incredibly cathartic.

2. Helps to reduce negative thoughts

Another benefit of journaling is it can help to reduce your negative thoughts. One aspect of journaling which has proven to be incredibly beneficial is gratitude journaling which gives a great opportunity for positivity, shining a light on small wins of the everyday instead of the bad. This is a great way for you to transform your outlook day-to-day and start each morning positively.

3. Improves accountability and awareness

By taking the time to write things down, you’re giving yourself the chance to pause and reflect. Journaling can really help you keep perspective on matters that are causing you stress and increase your self-awareness, identifying your reactions and behaviourisms. Sometimes, a little perspective can go a long way and one of the great benefits of journaling is it provides the opportunity to take a minute or two to do exactly that.

Boosts the brain

We’ve heard it all before; if you want to remember something, simply write it down! Plenty of studies suggest when you put pen to paper, you’re far more likely to remember it. Not only are you able to better recall what you have written, leading to a better understanding of your emotions, journaling is also a great way to improve your brain’s cognitive processing and comprehension.

Improves general wellbeing

An incredible benefit of journaling and putting pen to paper is it can benefit your physical health as well as your mental health. Who knew putting pen to paper can help give your immune system a well-needed boost?! By getting out those thoughts and feelings, studies show journaling can reduce stress, therefore maintaining a healthy blood pressure.

Increases positivity and outlook

Our last point of the benefits of journaling may feel a little contradictory to our earlier point of reducing negative thoughts but hear us out! Studies have shown that by writing down negative thoughts leads to fewer intrusive thoughts throughout the day. Negative thoughts often feel more eventful and take up more brain power than positive thoughts, often taking those positive thoughts for granted and homing in on the bad (which we’re all guilty of from time to time!). By writing down any negative thoughts, you’re able to free your mind of the negativity and avoid those thoughts from returning throughout the day.

So if you’re looking for a reason to start journaling, here they are! We hope this has helped shed some light on the many and varied benefits of journaling and has inspired you to start your own journal, in whatever format suits you best.

P.S. Get started on your journaling journey with our very own gratitude journal, featuring helpful prompts to guide you through each day.