The Benefits of Journaling

Keeping a journal can be about much more than scrawling, “Dear Diary, today I…” at the top of a notebook page—evocative of teenaged angst and kept secrets. Many people keep journals: artists practice their skills, writers make lists and drafts, and all manner of folks journal to remember things from their lives more sharply and to work through emotions privately, like a personal kind of therapy. There are many benefits to keeping a journal—practical and as pertains your personal health and wellness.

Cropped shot of a businesswoman making notes at her desk in a modern office.

The Practical Benefits of Journaling

Let’s face it: The best way to get better at something is to do more of it. When we journal, we activate several skills that we use daily in school and work situations, as well as in our personal lives. Here are some of the practical benefits of keeping up a journaling practice:¹^,²

Sharper memory and boosted recall
Stronger communication skills—written and otherwise
Increased creativity and creative flow
Goal tracking, which often leads to goal accomplishment

The Mental Health Benefits of Journaling

There are many more benefits to journaling than perfecting your penmanship or boosting vocab. Studies have shown that the benefits of journaling far outreach the merely academic, lending strength and soothing to journalers’ mental health.² Journaling can lead to the following mental health benefits:²^,³^,⁴

Increased self-confidence
Better moods
Stronger emotional health through mindfulness
Anxiety management and reduction
Stress management and reduction
Coping with depression mindfully

Other Health Benefits of Journaling

Researchers are still sorting out how or why it happens, but studies have shown that there are measurable physical benefits to journaling:¹^,²^,³

Boosted immune system strength and response
Fewer symptoms of chronic conditions like asthma or arthritis
Faster wound healing
Improved sleeping habits

How to Make the Most of Your Journaling Practice

Like anything, practice makes perfect—or, at least, yields results. When it comes to reaping the benefits of journaling, keep these tips in mind to make the most of the time you spend with your journal:⁴

Simplify your process. Don’t overcomplicate your approach to journaling, just find what works for you. If it’s pen and paper, keep those handy for whenever the mood strikes you. Have a notes app on your phone to take down journal entries on-the-go. Consider using a Word template to start your journaling as simply as possible.
Say goodbye to structure. Your journal is whatever you want it to be, but don’t feel obligated to make it be the same thing all the time. Write, draw, make lists, do whatever you want. Here are some more ideas for writing journal entries to get your pen or fingers moving.
Stay consistent. Try your best to write every day. Set aside a designated time to write in your journal, like before bed, after waking up, or with a cup of coffee in your favorite chair. If you journal with an app, you may find it convenient to do while commuting.

One doctor who researches the health benefits of journaling suggests setting aside 15 to 20 minutes to work through difficult feelings or memories in your journal for several days in a row to feel the benefits of working in a journal.¹ However you decide to approach your journaling practice, staying consistent will yield benefits in many areas of your life.