Lately, I’ve been journaling and I found a level of self-clarity that I haven’t seen in myself in a while.

So first of all what the heck is journaling? 

Journaling is the cool name for writing in your diary. It’s a place where you can comfortably confess your feelings about anything, talk about how your day went, how you felt, and what you hated about it.

Its been helpful to me lately to talk about how my day went and how I feel when I encounter myself with stupidity at school.

Journaling helps you keep your mind sharp and reduce stress.

But does medical and psychological research back up my claim?

Research from the University of Rochester Medical Center supports the idea that journaling can help an individual manage anxiety.

By journaling, you can prioritize your problems, fears, and concerns. 

Stress is a natural physical and mental reaction to life experiences, almost everyone feels stress from time to time either physically or emotionally. 

Stress is almost always caused by anything from everyday responsibilities like work or even more serious problems like medical diagnosis. 

Since you write about what went on in your day, you can identify what’s causing all your stress or anxiety.  

Journaling has had a definitive effect on my memory, too. 

I’ve noticed that journaling has me thinking a lot clearer. I always have my answer beforehand. It’s just difficult to put my words together. 

According to Cambridge University Press, those who participate in expressive writing or “Journaling” generally have better physical and psychological outcomes.

The article mentions that although the hypothesis about expressive writing improving cognitive processing has been hard to evaluate, studies have shown that working memory improves. 

It shows other benefits as well, like reduced blood pressure and improved mood.

But how do we journal for the most benefits?

The international association for Journal Writing suggests that you get started by getting a piece of paper or booklet, and go to a personalized area or space.

Start writing. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have anything to write about. Pick something you are grateful for, goals you might have, or how the sky looked today.

The article mentions that writing about your feelings and observations can give you a sense of relief.

Keep in mind that your journal is private. It’s something only you know about. 

Try writing every day for at least 5 minutes. This will help you get into the habit of writing and help you get more comfortable with putting things down on paper.

Journaling won’t just help you achieve mental positivity, it will help you get your life straight.