Journaling is known to be one of the best habits to have. Teachers in schools and even wellness coaches and social media influencers rave about journaling to be one of the most important and life-changing habits to keep. Many have spoken about journaling for yourself to be a revelation when it comes to mental health and clarity. Journals and planners today, are hence, marketed as a form of ultimate self-care and the symbol of self-improvement.

How can I start journaling?

With an increasing number of businesses creating evocative, colourful and elaborate journals in the market, it can be confusing for a beginner to embark on this journey. Are you trying to step into the world of journal entries and productivity? Then fancy journals with pretty designs are of no use to you. You must first focus on making the habit of journaling.

Simple lined or unruled notebooks with smooth paper to write on are more than enough for this activity. For a beginner, you must strive to choose a set time daily and make it a habit to journal at that given time. When one repeats this activity day in and day out, one will slowly unlock the benefits of journaling.

Why journal?

Many studies have been conducted to understand the deep effects of journaling for yourself. Here are 7 important benefits of journaling you must know about today:

Improves handwriting

 

In a world of screens and electronic keyboards, our writing has been limited to the virtual world. Writing with paper and pen seems like a lot of work and hence many shy away from it. From notetaking in schools to writing full-fledged books, everything today is done with screens involved and no pen.

With journaling, you will reunite with pen and paper and truly have an instant connection between your mind and your pen’s nib. Journaling every day will give you the practice of using stationery for writing and hence make your handwriting even, smooth, and prettier.

Helps with memory retention

Studies have proved that notetaking with pen and paper successfully helps retain memory more than virtual notetaking. Writing your daily thoughts, ideas and plans also helps keep these things fresh in your mind and boosts your memory. This can help you make intentional moves and achieve success.

Reduces stress and anxiety

Journaling is the easiest way to put down your thoughts, fears and anxieties and get them off your chest. Perfect for those who shy away from sharing their burdens with friends or therapists, journals can be an account of your emotions. Using the stream-of-consciousness format, one can relax and journal in an almost meditative state. This can reduce stress and elevate moods too.

Keep one accountable

Do you wake up each day wanting to achieve a ginormous number of tasks but end up finishing close to none? Try journal types such as trackers or planners. They are a great way of keeping track of your goals.

Filling a journal daily will force you to be accountable to yourself and make changes to achieve your plans for the day.

Pro tip: If you are using an unruled notebook for your journal, but want to add a tracker or a planner format, you can use the tools in a geometry box to spice it up. Perfect for tables, pie charts, graphs, and other shapes, a geometry box can help you transform a simple notebook into an extremely organised planner/ tracker.

Enhances writing and communication skills

Writing your thoughts and plans down daily can help make you form better and crisper sentences. With all your emotions and ideas in one place, your mind can be balanced and calm thereby promoting better communication skills too. Remember that journaling is a habit of expressing yourself. The more you journal, the better your thoughts and words are going to sound!

Inspire creativity

A blank canvas is a space for endless creative opportunities. Similarly, a blank page on your journal is an infinite space for your whimsical pursuits too. Want to try and come up with a poem or a design for your next cake? Doodle it out in your journal and look where it takes you!

Boosts productivity

When your thoughts are clear, handwriting is more legible, goals and ideas are noted and your thoughts are well-documented, you as a person feel more organised about every aspect of your life. Your daily routines and tasks become clear and you are inspired to achieve them. This greatly reflects on your productivity and self-confidence. Many times, journaling can also help not only creative aspects but critical thinking and academic performance too.