The benefits of journal writing are fairly
well established due to the long history
of journal writing. From Anne Frank to
Di Vinci, journal writing has proven itself.
Benefits of Journal Writing
When considering the benefits of journal
writing, it is important to set a few
parameters. First, there is no age limit
to using journals. There are distinct
benefits for children of all ages, but
journal writing is equally valuable to
adults. The reason for this is journal
writing is an act of personal reflection.
Whether it is a teenager reflecting on
the social nightmare of high school or
an overworked parent taking twenty minutes
a night to write is irrelevant. The point
is, all age groups benefit from stepping
back from their life for a few moments
and reflecting on things.
Whether you recognize it or not, journal
writing provides you with an anchor in
your daily life. In the journal, you are
free to write what you want without restrictions,
to truly address the issues in your life
without fear of criticism. Put another
way, one of the benefits of journal writing
is it acts as a self-help psychiatrist,
but for MUCH cheaper!
As you write in your journal over time,
you'll also start to ascertain a second
benefit to doing so. This benefit is one
of self-criticism. Inevitably, you'll
read through past entries and review your
life. Doing so will lead you to self-reflection
as well as thoughts on how you might act
differently should certain situations
rise again.
Of equal importance, journal writing
has health benefits. Before you click
away from this article, consider a time
in your life when you were extremely frustrated.
Hopefully, you spoke to a friend to "get
things off your chest." Didn't you feel
a lot better afterwards? Getting things
off your chest helps relieve stress, one
of the biggest killers in our modern society.
Journal writing acts in much the same
way since you are able to write your thoughts
without fear of criticism.
There are other benefits to journal writing,
but all boil down to one simple fact.
Writing in a journal allows you to express
yourself without being judged. With the
lack of privacy in our modern, digital
world, that is hardly a small benefit.
This article was posted on December
13, 2005
