In what seems like another lifetime, I went on a retreat with my first husband, designed to help improve an already good marriage. (Guess what, it didn’t work.) We were asked to take 10 minutes to write down our answer to a specific question and then exchange answers with our partner. I think the intention was that some things are easier to express in writing than face-to-face. Despite the end result for me, I received an unexpected benefit.
I’m talking about journaling. Throughout my adult life, I’ve inconsistently kept a journal. I wish I would have kept the earlier ones where my thoughts were probably shallow and my dreams likely deep. I picked up the habit again after experiencing the worst two years of my life (now almost 20 years ago), and once again began religiously writing in my journal every night. I’m well into volume 44.
Expressing myself in a journal can be a cathartic release of pent-up emotions. I find that when I reduce my stress to writing, that stress often vacates my brain, leaving space for something positive. It can also help me list pros and cons prior to making a big decision. And the biggest benefit for me is that journaling created the habit of gratitude.
Experts weigh in on additional benefits of journaling. See if any of these might become helpful to you:
Personal growth and self-awareness. You can be your own accountability partner without judgment, providing a tracking device for your progress. Perhaps a commitment to walking more or spending less on restaurants finds its way to your journal. Checking back after a month or two might give you the impetus to keep it up.
Values alignment. Let’s say you’re bored and unfulfilled at work. Writing down what matters to you (and what doesn’t) might help you to find a new direction that is more in line with your priorities.
Improve communication. Journaling is a good way to rehearse how you’re going to handle a difficult conversation in the future. Rather than blurting out thoughts and feelings, writing them down in a journal beforehand can help you to fine tune what’s really important and what isn’t. (Use a pencil.)
Journaling doesn’t require perfect grammar, a fancy notebook, or a daily commitment. It simply asks you to pause long enough to listen to yourself. Whether you’re navigating a transition, wrestling with a decision, or just trying to make sense of an ordinary Tuesday, putting pen to paper can create a little more clarity and a little less chaos.
If you’ve never tried it — or if you’ve fallen out of the habit — consider giving yourself ten quiet minutes this week. You might be surprised by what you learn, what you release, or what you rediscover about yourself. And who knows? It might become a gift for yourself that you didn’t expect. That’s what it did for me.
