By Serena Dorf
For many people, journaling is perceived as a children’s activity that brings a few benefits here and there. For other people, journaling is a hobby and a relaxing activity that they practice very occasionally. Finally, for the last category of people, journaling is a powerful tool that’s constantly leveraged for self-improvement purposes.
Well, regardless of you how you treat this activity, you should be aware of the amazing benefits that it can bring to your life, and especially to your mindset.
In today’s post, I’m sharing 7 reasons why journaling is an amazingly powerful activity that is able to positively influence your mindset’s growth.
1. Journaling Generates Clarity and Self-Awareness
First and most importantly, a journal can give you traits that very few people possess. I’m talking about clarity and self-awareness, two important elements that’ll change your life forever.
When you’re self-aware of your thoughts, emotions, and actions, and the relationship between them, you’ll be in a better position to control everything within you. Once you master yourself, you’ll be able to create real change in the external environment.
Clarity helps you establish what’s important to you right now, and helps you discover your true purpose in life.
2. Journaling Can Significantly Alter Your Emotions
Our emotions are the main reason we take action. Our mindset is a complex entity, and emotions are among the most important elements that shape it.
Studies have found that journaling does not only diminish or completely removes stress but also provides significant benefits, positive emotions, cognitive improvements:
- Improves focus
- Provides a greater understanding of your life
- Gives you the ability to focus on one thought at a time
- Releases negative emotions
- Provides empowerment
- Letting go of the past becomes easy
- It allows you to re-experience past emotions while perceiving them with calmness
- It connects your inner and outer world
- Makes you a better learner
3. A Journal Increases Your Gratitude
Gratitude is surely among the most powerful positive emotions, among love and compassion. A journal gives you the opportunity to improve your gratitude towards the things you already have.
When you focus on negative emotions, you’ll attract negative things in your life. However, if your journaling focuses entirely on the positive aspects of your life and opens up new chambers of thought. Regardless of your initial mood, beginning the journaling session will make your feelings stable again.” – Louis Johnson, passionate journal keeper and CEO at EssayOnTime.
4. Journaling Improves Your Confidence and Momentum
Journaling about your life’s progress and achievements is one of the healthy ways to keep yourself motivated and confident to move forward.
Self-motivation is a pretty rare skill, and it’s powered by our confidence. Confidence, on the other hand, is often generated by momentum. Therefore, a journal will spotlight your results and progress, hence improving your self-confidence and self-esteem.
5. A Journal Helps You Control Your Mind
Throughout our adult lives, we’re bombed by thoughts, problems, and confusion. Many of us become overwhelmed due to various reasons. When you can’t recognize your real-life purpose, when you can’t control your days, or when you can’t control your future, you gain a sense of hopelessness.
Your subconscious mind takes control over everything, and you become a mere observer. Well, a daily journaling session is able to bring all the pieces back together and is able to help you understand more about what you want to change about yourself and your life.
The more you write and the more you consult with your journal, the more insights you’ll receive. The state of self-observation gives you the confidence that you’re regaining the control!
6. Your Journal is a Trusting, Honest, and Nonjudgmental Counselor
How many people in your life are trusting, always honest, and always nonjudgmental? I’m willing to bet that there aren’t many.
Your journal is your best friend. It’s a loyal, helpful, and empowering counselor whose sole purpose is to help you gain clarity, improve your mindset, and experience a better life.
7. Journaling Evokes Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the art and science of living in the present moment. A mindful walking, for example, involves full awareness and concentration on the steps you make, on the small things that surround you, on the breaths you take, on your heartbeat, and so on.
You can practice mindfulness in many ways, though all revolve around the same thing: undivided attention to the present moment.
Journaling is an activity that forces you to become mindful. If you’re not focused on your writing, feelings, and thinking, you’re not journaling right. If you do, it means you’re already triggering a mindfulness trance that heals and helps you organize your life in the most proper ways.
Takeaways
For those of you who have never committed to keeping a personal journal, now it’s your chance. Start small – note down your thoughts, feelings, and actions. Document your days, weeks, and months, and let your journal keep track of everything that’s going on. Every time you “consult” your journal and put your ideas on the paper, you’re transferring your intentions while ensuring that they’ll always be there.
This way, your brain won’t have to constantly make an effort to remind you of what you have to do, of what you did yesterday, and of what mistakes you need to correct in order to improve. All in all, journaling is the best way to improve your mindset, feelings, and lifestyle!
About the Author
Serena Dorf is an enthusiastic content writer. She is passionate about writing, personal development, psychology, and productivity. In her free time, she is reading classic American literature and learning Swedish. Feel free to connect with her on Twitter.
