3 Benefits of Journaling & Journal Recommendations

Hello, lovelies! I hope you all have been doing well! Today I wanted to talk about a hobby of mine that has some great benefits - journaling. I've found that getting thoughts out of my head and onto paper is a great way to process through any challenging memories or feelings. It's also a great way to work towards goals and track habits. Keep reading to learn more about 3 benefits of journaling as well as some journal recommendations!

3 Benefits of Journaling

1. Increase Positive Mental Health

For anyone who is struggling with their mental health, journaling can have an amazing impact. Journaling utilizes both the analytical left side of the brain and the creative right side of the brain. Allowing your creativity to thrive while also implementing a rational activity like journaling can be a great emotional release and has shown to improve daily wellbeing.

Research has shown that journaling and expressive writing can improve one's overall sense of emotional wellbeing. It is also particularly helpful for people with a history of trauma or PTSD as journaling can be a great emotional processing technique. Even if there is no history of trauma in a person's life, journaling can help us become more self-aware and help us transition from a negative mindset to a more positive, rational one.

2. Improve Stress Management

As we all know, life can become very demanding at times. Sometimes life catches up to all of us and can become overly stressed out. Journaling has been shown to reduce stress symptoms and improve stress management. When stressed, try journaling as a coping skill to help with:

• Exploring emotions 
• Release tension
• Improving cognitive functioning
• Planning options and considering multiple possible outcomes

3. Fostering Gratitude

Sometimes when our world gets to be very overwhelming, it can be difficult to see the good parts of life. While it is important to acknowledge when we are feeling upset or when we are going through a challenging experience, remaining mindful about the factors in our lives for which we re grateful can help to boost our moods.

Applying gratitude-based journaling to your everyday life can help to increase optimism (which can indirectly improve overall mental and physical health) and can assist in achieving progress towards personal goals. Gratitude journaling can also help to increase outward expressions of friendliness and engagement in prosocial behaviors, which can strengthen your social support system.

Journal Recommendations

So, you're wanting to take up journaling as a daily habit. Now what? Well, you'll need a journal that is best for you! Of course, you can find journals in various designs and styles at many different stores. However, I personally find that when I connect well with the look and feel of my journal, I am generally inclined to use it more frequently. So, I've provided a few journal recommendations below that can hopefully provide some inspiration for your journaling future!

For The Busy Bee

The Five Minute Journal - This is ideal for people who are consistently on the go but who would like to include gratitude journaling into small pockets of time during their day. This journal would be a great tool to help slow things down a bit and enjoy a few minutes of mindfulness.

For The Mental Health Advocate

The Anti-Anxiety Notebook - This journal was designed by therapists and mental health professionals to provide a tool to assist people in managing their worries, nervousness, and anxiety. They have a variety of journals designed for specific issues (such as depression and trauma) in mind, and, while they may not be a replacement for therapy, these notebooks are great tools to assist you on your mental health journey. 

For The Bullet Journal Babe

LEUCHTTURM1917 - Medium A5 Plain Hardcover Notebook - This is a great choice if you are into bullet journaling! This journal comes in a wide array of colors and styles of pages (dotted, plain, ruled, or squared), and it the perfect size for travelling. Of course, the Moleskin Classic Notebook is another great choice for bullet journal lovers if you prefer a more well-known approach.

BONUS: For The Kiddos

Ananda Creative Gratitude Journal for Kids - If you have little ones, this is an easy way to introduce them to the ideas of gratitude and mindfulness early on. This creative guided journal will help children learn to manage their stressors while identifying positive factors that they can continue to focus on. These are necessary skills that they can carry with them throughout their lives.

I hope today's post was informative and helpful! Do you include journaling as a part of your routine? Is there a certain type of journaling that appeals to you more? Let me know in the comments! 

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