There was an article in the newspaper this week about journal writing. I’m always excited when journaling gets good press because it has been such an important activity for me.
My sophisticated journal from high school.
For more than 20 years, I’ve been keeping a daily journal. Why? Writing every morning keeps me centered and grounded. The journal pages are a place to tease out solutions to problems, to celebrate the happy moments of life, and to record my family’s journey together.
Do you keep a journal? There are so many reasons to give it a try! “Soft” benefits include increasing your self-understanding, clarifying your thoughts, increasing your creativity, and improving your writing skills.
There are tangible health benefits too. Research is showing that journaling reduces stress, blood pressure, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Meanwhile, it’s linked to improvements in lung and liver function and strengthening of immune cells. Now that’s the power of the PEN!
So grab a spiral notebook, a blank book, a legal pad. It doesn’t have to be fancy. If you need a little help, there are a myriad of journal formats available, including The (almost) Blank Journal, which help you figure out what to write. If you don’t know where to start, consider listing members of your family and writing what you love about them, or start a gratitude journal.
Should you write on a computer, in a book, on line? The absolute best way to keep a journal is to use the format that makes you look forward to writing. It’s just like exercise—the “best way” is the way that you’ll keep on going with it.
Do you already keep a journal? Tell me about it.
