I think it’s just so ironic that writers like me love to write; and yet, we leave all those notebooks in our room untouched. And then, when someone asks why we’re always buying them at stores, knowing that we’re probably never going to use them, we’re just like, “I just think they’re neat!” Well, I think it’s time to get those dusty journals off your shelves and start writing in them, because it comes with great benefits and it’s actually really fun!
First, just a quick definition of journaling. It’s basically when you write in a journal or a diary. You basically write about your thoughts, feelings, interests, opinions, and more.
We use journals in school all the time to take notes. I actually really enjoy taking notes. It’s like a way for me to remember all I’ve learned. There are many notebooks that can be used for taking notes, creating to-do lists, and managing your time and tasks. I mean, just go into a bookstore. They’ve got all sorts of planners and notebooks that act as to-do lists. In Jayron Baldwin’s article, “7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Journaling” at The Adroit Journal, a site for publishing art and poems, there are lots of ways mentioned in which journaling can affect your overall health. It can even improve your memory. He states, “When you write things by hand, your brain processes it better and commits it to memory. Also, journaling forces you to focus on a particular idea or thought. Because of the nature of memory and the brain, you are more likely to remember the things you focus on.”
Journaling can also improve your mood. If I ever have a bad day, I often find myself writing about it in my online diary, and I feel much better after doing so. It’s like I’m venting to a therapist and getting stuff off my chest at last. Guys, this is my ChatGPT. In WebMD’s article, “Mental Health Benefits of Journaling,” the point is made that journaling has lots of benefits for your mental health like reduced feelings of anxiety, regulating emotions, comfort in opening up to others, and even physical healing. The last one sounds kinda far-fetched, but listen to what they have to say: “College students who wrote about stressful events were less likely to get sick compared to those who wrote about neutral topics like their room. Women with breast cancer who wrote positively or expressively about their experience with the disease had fewer physical symptoms and fewer cancer-related medical appointments.” It’s kinda heartwarming since a diagnosis for breast cancer would be shocking news for anyone; so it’s nice to see that journaling is helping them cope. And it’s no secret that college is very stressful; so I could easily see why the students would journal so much. Maybe that’s something I’ll do when I get to college.
Not only is journaling generally good for your health, but it’s a fun thing to do. It makes me happy that I own so many notebooks, because it just means I’ll never run out of things to write about. And maybe that’s why I keep buying them every time I go to the bookstore. When you write in a journal, you can get your creative juices flowing and let your imagination flow on the page. It’s like a gift for all us writers. According to Unique Hideaways’ article, “The benefits of creative journaling,” journaling can spark creativity, and allow you to express yourself and your ideas. They state, “Guided journaling is particularly good for inspiring you to be creative, just for fun– […] It can help you express yourself, think more laterally in problem-solving situations and boost your self-confidence.”
Some people might say that journaling is bad because it’s boring and useless, it may trigger some trauma, and it could become an unhealthy obsession, especially for people with OCD. Obviously, I kinda understand those last points. However, the whole point of journaling is to think positive and write about the things that make you happy. It’s not exactly a space for you to judge yourself or remind yourself of your failures. Don’t overthink it. Your journal is basically your therapist and your best friend. You can trust it and it can trust you.
I think the best part about journaling is that there are no limits nor rules. You can basically write about whatever you want. You could choose to write a story, make a list of your weekend activities, make a page all about you, draw doodles, and so much more. You could literally open Google right now and search up “Journaling prompts” or “Drawing ideas” and it’ll give you so many fun prompts to choose from. It’s so hard to pick which one you’ll do first! You can do journaling online, too. There are so many apps to choose from. Some of my favorites are Journal by Apple, Google Docs, the Notes app, Grammarly, and an app called Minipad by Alexander Davidson. These are all really great apps for all you writers that prefer to do everything virtually.
So yeah, journaling is actually a really great hobby to have. It’s very good for your health; it’s a fun way to get your creative juice flowing; and it allows you to truly express yourself. And once again, there are no rules or limits that can stop you. So go wild! Give this hobby a try and watch your amazing transformation.
