Why Journaling Works (And How to Make It Work For You)
November 14, 2023
February 17, 2022
We are right at the midpoint of the year, an ideal time to check in with ourselves and reflect on the first half of 2021. To do that, we will be Journaling in July together. If you are familiar with Inner Workout, you know we're all about helping to create a world without burnout. One of our favorite ways to take care of our mental health is to engage in a journaling practice.
Spending time with your pen to pad has been studied and shown to have many positive impacts on our overall well-being. Let's take a look:
Expressive writing is a great place to start when you are looking to vent, share your emotions and feelings, and release negative thoughts. Not only are you able to relieve yourself of emotional or mental buildup, you are also able to practice being vulnerable with yourself.
When you are journaling, make note of dates, events, or things that are happening in your life during that moment in time. Take some time to go back and read your past journal entries, look for different themes in your writing, and think about how the outside world was or is affecting you within. This can be extremely helpful when tracking patterns, or cycles that you might be experiencing.
Deanna B. from the Inner Workout community shared this with us, "I am a huge fan of a good old brain dump. I think it was my very first Take Care assessment that recommended it as a practice and something I keep doing! I love doing a brain dump before I start a focused task and I like the feeling of unloading the day on paper!" Brain dumping allows you to get out of your own head, and to get organized and focused.
There is no one way to journal, you can write, type, or speak your thoughts aloud if that feels right. The ultimate goal is to intentionally express yourself. Here are a few practices for you to try:
Leah G., another member of Inner Workout's shared 3 journal prompts that helped her to fall in love with journaling again:
Some find free writing while journaling to be difficult to get started. Journal prompts encourage you to have a conversation with yourself. Use these moments to be open and honest with your words
Natalie S. shared with us on Instagram that she loves integrating gratitude into her journaling practice. Some do this in the morning, some save it for their bedtime routine. Regardless of which route you take, try creating a list of the things you are grateful for to kick start your journaling sessions. Making note of these things will help you to practice mindfulness and invite more joy and ease into your life.
Writing might be less exciting to some than others, we understand. It might be helpful to strategically choose your journaling tools. Find a journal with a fun design, your favorite colors, maybe something nostalgic? Don't forget a smooth writing pen. The perfect pen can level up your journaling experience.
DM us on Instagram, and let us know of any other journaling tips or practices that you'd like to share!
