While it may not help you lose weight or give you expertly sculpted abs, journaling is beneficial for your health in a number of ways. With all the pressure to manage our physical health, it’s sometimes easy to neglect our mental health. It’s easy enough to journal, and it doesn’t require any membership or appointment fees. If you can set aside a few minutes each day to keep a journal, you can find yourself happier as a direct result. Pick up a notebook and a pack of your favorite pens, and write your way to wellbeing.
Think about all of your ambitions. How close or far away are you from achieving your goals? Journaling to keep a record of your progress can show you how much you’ve really accomplished. You're less likely to feel discouraged and give up. Don’t beat yourself up about things not going according to plan – it’s not good for you. Instead, keep measuring your progress.
Common events, like big job interviews, long distance moves, and important first dates can cause anxiety in some of us. For others, there are more complex causes. No matter what the cause is, writing about what’s going on can help you put things into perspective. You’ll experience less anxiety when you’re able to look at the big picture. Write about it in your journal, and reread it to help you digest the information.
Putting others first on a regular basis can cause us to neglect ourselves, and that’s a common pitfall of people living with or at risk of developing depression. Setting aside some time to journal can create a zen space. That’s your time. That’s where you deal with things that are important to you internally.
We’ve all been in situations where someone has gotten on our last nerve, and sometimes, the person who did it may deserve to be put back in their place. Before you do or say anything you regret, journal about that situation. Let your anger out on the paper. This can preserve the peace in your life. Once you’ve organized your thoughts, it’s easier to deal with the situation in a level headed manner.
Think about the things that haunt you. How do they impact your everyday life? Are there things you’re afraid to do, or experiences you’re afraid to live because of unresolved issues in your past? A journal can help you move forward. Dissect situations, and everyone’s motivations. Understand how they’ve impacted you since. Sometimes, having that understanding can open new doors.
If you can’t articulate your feelings properly, you understand the frustration. You may feel misunderstood. Maybe you feel as though you’re being taken advantage of by an overzealous boss who expects too much of you, but you don’t know why. Journal about the situation from multiple angles. When you understand where your feelings are coming from, you’ll be able to express them in a productive way.
Journals serve as a mental organizer. If you’re putting off all the important things you need to deal with, you aren’t going to think very much of yourself. You’ll feel weighed down by everything swimming around in your head. Having this mental organizer at your disposal, you’ll be able to unburden your mind and walk into situations with a confident, composed approach.
You have nothing to lose by keeping a journal. Even if you only use it on occasions where you feel you need it, having a place to store your thoughts and deal with their implications will have profound positive effects that impact many aspects of your personal and professional life.
BIO
Hannah Dickins is part of the team at Directorstats.co.uk. She's a self-confessed technology addict. She’s interested in new online tools which help her with her writing.
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