Journaling has been a practice suggested by various psychologists and therapists as a coping mechanism. This is a simple practice that helps improve mental clarity, offer the ability to see the big picture in life and serves as a catalogue of every success you would have. Journal writing is an essential tool, and here are 10 reasons why you should start journaling today!

• Building a connection with oneself Journaling is a powerful method of documenting what one believes in. It also involves how one feels about situations in life, their goals in life and also to just jot down things that have been going on with oneself. One of the main reason this proves to be helpful is how it helps sort the mental clutter and provide clarity on specific subject matters.
  

• Improving understanding A lot of the time, people don’t understand what they would be going through. By writing down your thoughts in a journal, it is easy for you to read it back with a clearer mind and get a perfect understanding of what the problem correctly was.
  

• Always having somewhere to vent out When you feel low or happy (or feel kind of emotions), it might be challenging to express it to someone as it may feel too personal. Having a journal, and being able to write down what exactly you are feeling can help deal with your emotions in a better way. It can help you open up about things that may be eating you up inside with a zero judgement zone.
  

• Tracking overall progress Life happens, and it happens fast. Sometimes we don’t take a moment to pause and take in what is happening to us at every moment. We are not able to have a progress report telling us every step about we are making in our lives. We don’t have time to stop and appreciate the small victories we have had in our life. Journal writing allows you to have a track of how you have changed over time. You can look back and see where you were right and what things helped you grow and what made you fall apart and you can learn from them.
  

• Facilitating personal growth One of the best things about journal writing is that you can end up writing about anything, and you will still see growth from it. You can’t look at something you’ve written before that you are shameful about say “That was dumb!” We instead say “I will never make a dumb choice like that again!” This kind of awareness is what makes journaling a powerful means, whether you use it to achieve your goals or to become a better person, or just personal development regime. No matter what you use it for, you are eventually going to see yourself become a better person.
  

• Confidential and zero judgement Keeping a journal can provide oneself with a place to talk about things that they would otherwise be uncomfortable discussing. As a single piece of property, the owner can keep it a secret from everyone else and only choose to share the journal or parts of it with their therapists or confidants. In such a situation, it becomes straightforward for them to talk openly about subjects that would either be deemed offensive or painful. This can be a great way to deal with trauma and pain as people as mostly too scared and sore to talk about it.
  

• Letting go of negative thoughts As established before, journaling is a beautiful place to vent out, and it would also be censored as per the writer’s decision. Hence, this becomes the perfect place where one can discuss and let go of negative thoughts that have been putting one down or have been bothering them. Journaling the feelings and thoughts in their head can help them figure out why they have been feeling low and sad.
  

• Being thankful One of the most significant plus points of journaling is cultivating gratitude. It is a useful tool for reaching all kinds of goals and improving the quality of life. There are various ways to cultivate gratitude, but applying recognition specifically to writing can be a step in the right direction. It not only helps in boosting your long-term well-being but also helps in increasing your optimism, improving your mental and physical health.
  

• Improving writing skills Journaling doesn’t really mean writing in proper sentences in a singular language. But over a while, it helps improve sentence formation and formulating thoughts during an episode of rage, anxiety and stress. It can help develop vocabulary and help understand why certain things are written in a particular format. Journaling is a study of different languages, and you’ll have the natural urge to search for new words and increase your vocabulary.
  

• Channelling self-confidence Journaling about an experience that made you happy helps your brain to live through it again. It helps reaffirm your abilities when your head is filled with self-doubt. Your body will release endorphins and dopamine, which will help boost your self-esteem and mood. These reflections are a way of portraying your personal achievements helping you to remember that you have achieved several things you have set your mind to.

As you think about integrating journaling as a part of your life, remember that ‘slow and steady, wins the race’. Endurance and stability are crucial in forming new habits. Maybe you can begin writing perhaps once every two days, first thing in the morning or before sleeping. Eventually, you will see the magic of journaling, and you will be one step closer to healing.