Are you somebody who rushed home from school, throwing yourself on the bed to pour your heart into a notebook. If so (like me😊), did you also experience the relief in doing so? Lots of us wrote as teenagers and then grew up and stopped – I’m one of them. However a while ago I got back into that habit again: when reading on, you’ll understand why I've re-started journaling! So here we go.

Journaling strengthens your immune system and reduces stress & anxiety
Research shows that writing gives structure to your anxious feelings and helps you get past them. Psychologist James Pennebaker says that journaling strengthens immune cells called T-lymphocytes. Journaling soothes your nerves and helps you brainstorm for solutions to your problems.

Improves your communication skills
When you journal, you learn to better express yourself. And this lets you better communicate your feelings with others. The more self-aware you become, the more you can make yourself understood to others. Writing leads to clear thinking – which in turn leads to clear communication.

Helps you sleep better
Who hasn’t tossed and turned into the night with thoughts of unfinished tasks circling in their mind? One study made an amazing discovery: people who write to-do lists and journal about the tasks they need to complete fell asleep significantly faster than those writing about completed activities.

Improves your mood
Writing down your fears lifts your spirits because you’re expressing your emotions instead of keeping them bottled up. It also puts things in perspective - there are solutions and things to be grateful for now. It takes a load off, improving your mood.

Moves you towards your goals
A journal helps you commit your goals into writing. And writing down your goals intentionally makes you far more likely to achieve them! A journal helps you better plan for the future.

Improves your sense of gratitude
Writing down your positive thoughts can boost your sense of gratitude. Focusing on all the good things in life makes you more optimistic. Positive Psychology learns that expressing your gratitude makes you less materialistic. It also helps with preventing burnout and encourages patience.

Boosts your self-esteem
Specific prompts to boost your self-esteem can do wonders. Writing about anything from today’s highlights to your biggest achievements brightens your life's outlook.

If you would like some free tips from me on how to build a daily journaling habit, please feel free to reach out to me!