Benefits of Journaling

By Lauren Brady

At least one point in our childhoods we all fell victim to scribbling “Dear Diary…” on the pages of our fuzzy journals. Although most of the stories I told in my diary are now meaningless, I am positive that it formed the foundation for something I have continued into my senior year of college. I resumed this activity on my high school’s Kairos retreat, where the leaders stressed the importance of being at one with your thoughts. I also kept a travel journal while I studied abroad in Dublin last fall and recorded what I did each day as a tangible memory of my experiences.

As an introvert, I find it much easier to express my feelings in writing than speaking them out loud. While you may not be an introvert, there is certainly a purpose and method of journaling that everyone can benefit from. Here are some reasons you might want to start journaling, too.

1. You want to reduce tension or anxious feelings

When you transfer what’s in your head to words on paper, past frustrations and future anxieties become minuscule in the present. Writing is an active process, and thoughts that may seem passive are now being engaged with.

2. You want to achieve short-term or long-term goals

This includes using a planner or a bullet journal! I find that keeping track of assignments and things I want to accomplish is much easier on paper than on my phone or computer. Also, checking off a task and acknowledging to yourself that you did the damn thing is so rewarding!

3. You want to improve your memory

Yes, your professors were right during syllabus week when they stressed the “no laptop policy.” The hand and the brain work together to recall information or compose new thoughts. You are actively forced to form letters and sentences, whereas typing involves more photographic memory regarding key placement.

4. You want to heal

This is why self-help books and memoirs are so effective! According to Dr. James Pennebaker, author of Writing to Heal, experiences become “graspable” when they are on paper. Additionally, the distance of these thoughts from your body to the journal can lead to better sleeping patterns and less stress. 

Hopefully one of these benefits speaks to you! There are numerous resources on the Internet that you can use to start your journey with journaling. For more information, visit The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society at https://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree/journaling.