Top 10 Health Benefits of Journaling
Author: HealthKick Partner, Jour
The benefits of journaling are powerful. And extensive.
It’s been proven to improve memory, blood pressure, overall mood, stress levels and more!
And the best part?
The benefits of journaling are available to anyone who wants to get started on this simple yet powerful practice!
When thinking about incorporating this habit into your lifestyle, it’s important to know about the science of journaling. Because the benefits of journaling shouldn’t be ignored and may be the solution to a range of issues you’re dealing with.
So, let’s go further into the science of journaling and explore the many positive impacts it can have.
What exactly is journaling?
Journaling is – simply put – a chance for expressive or reflective writing. It can be done on paper or electronically.
The most important part of journaling is the intention.
When you journal with a purpose, you get to feel the health benefits and enjoy as the writing becomes both healing and productive.
Effective journaling begins when an individual writes with a goal in mind. The goal can be simple, such as to clear their head. Or more complex, like processing emotional trauma.
The Science-Backed Benefits of Journaling
Some may be surprised to learn that the benefits of journaling have been scientifically proven! There are many professionals who suggest journaling as an avenue for different benefits. Let’s take a deeper look at the ways journaling will change your life…
1. Increased Productivity
A study done by Harvard Business School into the science of journaling found that journaling’s benefits include improving an individual’s performance, making them 25% more productive.
How does this work? Well, the researchers suggested that the productivity benefits of journaling come from the chance to reflect on past experiences. When we take a moment to notice what we’ve learned from these experiences, we can start to incorporate that new wisdom into the future. That means you can start setting, achieving, and manifesting your goals in the near future!
2. Better Sleep
It’s probably safe to say that you wish you were getting more sleep. The good news is that journaling prompts can help you sleep better!
When looking into the science behind journaling, researchers found that through journaling participants were able to process and reduce stressors, allowing for a better night’s sleep.
In other words, journaling allows you to get anything stressful out of your mind and into your journal so that you can sleep better.
And that means more energy, more focus, and improved overall health.
3. Improved Memory
Studies have also proved that journaling can benefit better memory and recall. That’s because journaling allows you to – first of all – revisit and think through past experiences, moments, and events.
But journaling also allows you to do this with the presence of distractions or intrusive thoughts that often disrupt our experience of a moment in real-time. In this sense, journaling almost acts as a time machine that can transport you back to a moment, without any distractions bothering you there.
4. Feel Happier
Those who already have a journaling practice won’t be surprised to hear that increased happiness is one of the benefits of journaling!
The Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found that when individuals used journaling as a way to challenge negativity or find a silver lining, they felt more in control of how they felt and significantly less distressed overall. So get started now to distance negative thoughts and encourage more joy, just like an expert in CBT can do!
5. Cultivate gratitude
Practicing gratitude has been shown to have major positive health impacts. It’s been found to reduce aggression, boost happiness, improve relationships, decrease stress, improve confidence and more!
And a gratitude journal can be an easy, daily way to reconnect with more gratitude and more of these benefits.
6. Lower Blood Pressure
If you’re looking for some more physical proof of journaling’s scientific benefits, look no further than its effect on blood pressure, as research shows that lower blood pressure is one of the physical health benefits of journaling.
Journaling may be a great, mindful practice for anyone who wants to have a calmer mindset, to lessen the symptoms of anxiety, find anxiety relief, or achieve stronger physical health.
7. Boost Your Immune System
Now more than ever, people are realizing the importance of a healthy immune system. Research into the science behind journaling has proved that even your immune system can benefit from journaling!
That’s because when you have a clearer state of mind and fewer distracting or stressful thoughts dragging you down, your physical health benefits too.
8. Stay Calm & In Control
The benefits of journal even go so far as to rewire the way your brain process emotions so that you feel more empowered and in control!
Those with a journaling practice show more perspective, and like a true Stoic, have better control over their emotions and are less likely to become overwhelmed.
9. Healing from traumatic events
While journaling is not the only solution to trauma healing, it can have powerful results when the individual journals with intention.
A 2005 study found that participants who journaled about a difficult experience or time actually reduced the negative emotions that moment made them feel.
And by using journaling to process this past event, participants also began showing the physical benefits of journaling, such as stronger physical health, lower blood pressure, and a lower rate of sickness.
10. Knowing yourself better
Today’s society is saturated with social media, comparison, and business. Working in a high-level job is praised, but truly knowing who you are is often brushed over.
Self-awareness is one of the most important things someone can gain and a definite benefit of journaling. That’s because journaling about an experience actually allows your brain to relive it. So that you can take a moment to appreciate your talents, abilities, and strengths, which – in the moment – you might not even notice.
Taking the time to understand the way you think, what you want, and what your strengths are can revolutionize your life.
In Summary
There’s real science behind the practice of journaling. Science that’s proven all the different ways in which journaling can benefit your life, your mental health, and even your physical health.
Science has found some journaling’s benefits to include:
- Increased productivity
- Better sleep
- Memory improvement
- Lower blood pressure
- Feeling happier
- Cultivating gratitude
- Boosting the immune system
- Emotional regulation
- Healing from traumatic events
- Knowing yourself better
You have the power to overcome and succeed, understand, and grow. And a journaling practice can help you do it!
Start a Journaling Practice with Jour:
Login to your HealthKick account to try Jour, the daily self-care journal on the app store. With interactive guides tailored to improve confidence, gratitude, and focus or address anxiety, loneliness, and goal-setting, Jour makes the benefits of a journaling practice easy and accessible.
