Why Journal? The Power of Creative Expression

Have you ever wanted to start a journaling or self-reflection practice, but didn’t know where to start? Or maybe you felt intimidated by the idea of staring at a blank page and not having any directions or guidelines for what to do next?

That’s pretty common. While some people take to journaling like a fish to water, others can feel a little lost at sea and therefore put off the idea of journaling as not for them.

But journaling, or creative expression (which doesn’t always have to be in the form of writing), can offer a number of benefits.

For one, it can help to build self-awareness, which is getting harder to do in an era where we have less time and more distractions.

However, the more you know yourself and what’s going on inside, the easier it is to make decisions, take calculated risks and live your life in an intentional way.

Journaling can also help to improve wellness. 

There’s research that supports this idea and shows that a journaling practice can help to improve mood and immune functioning by reducing stress and even improving sleep quality. 

Additionally, journaling can also be a way to express what’s going on on the inside. This can be especially helpful if, for whatever reason, we don’t have enough social support.

We can experience a similar release of thoughts and feelings while journaling that we might get when talking to a loved one.

No One Right Way

It is important to note that how you journal, which is unique to you and your preferences, can make a difference in terms of your experience, and this leads into the idea that there is no prescription for journaling. There’s no one right way to do it.

You don’t even have to write if you don’t want to. You can record yourself in a voice memo, or draw, or paint, or you can take a walk and contemplate, whatever feels comfortable and natural to you.

A lot of people also find bullet journaling helpful. This is a more organizational type of journaling, but it can help people to not only keep track of tasks and appointments, but also serve as a retrospective and a place to document what’s happening in their lives.

If you can look back over a week, a month or even a year and have a better idea of what you were doing and the experiences that you had, it can foster a sense of gratitude and appreciation as well as remind you of all that you’ve accomplished, which sometimes gets lost in the hustle of life.

On a related note, what you’re journaling about doesn’t have to be super heavy or overly philosophical (Or it can be—it’s up to you!). You can choose to focus on lighter things that have happened in your life or make an intention to focus on things that have gone well or things that you’re grateful for.

All of this to say—while journaling can sometimes get a bad rap or feel intimidating, it can also be a helpful tool for building self-awareness, improving your mood and as a means of self-expression. 

If you do struggle with journaling or want to make it more of a practice, follow Take a Beat on Instagram to find journal prompts and ideas to help get you started.

*Disclaimer: The information contained in this episode is for the sole purpose of being informative and is not considered complete. It should not replace consultation with a qualified professional.