The Benefits Of Keeping A Journal

Writing, it isn’t something that many people enjoy and who can really blame you? Writing is not every person’s forte and that is OK!

However, writing is something that as a student you have to do often. So instead of pulling your hair out over it try to embrace it, practice your writing skills and you will find that your way with words will improve.

Here are five reasons why you should consider keeping a journal:

1. No feeling the feels

Sometimes your emotions can get the best of you. Whether that be in a positive way or a negative way, your feelings can be very strong and make you feel either so amazing you could burst, or so down you would rather stay locked away in your room.

Writing down your feelings and emotions in a journal will help you get everything off your chest and you can always count on your journal to keep your secrets without letting a single soul know.

2. De-stress

Sometimes stress can move us to a point of being desperate to leave, to go somewhere else where we are required to do nothing but breathe with ease and relax. 

A journal, although not the ultimate stress reliever, can help alleviate some of the stress. Writing down what is making you stressed and why it is making you feel that way can be what you need to figure it all out and decide what you’ll do about it. I’ve also heard it’s a form of meditation and I can say, from personal experience, that I agree.

3. Practice makes perfect!

You might not like writing because you are insecure about your writing. Whether you are lacking in fluency, creativity, or your grammar abilities keeping a journal can help you perfect your writing. 

In a journal you do not have to worry about perfect grammar or spelling because only you will be reading it. This is a great place to make all kinds of mistakes and learn from them, plus, writing often will make you more comfortable doing it.

Write, write, write, and eventually it will become less of a tedious task.  

4. Motivation

You can read back on your bad days and see when you felt totally under the weather and realize that you were able to survive the bad feelings. So if you are able to get through tough times, you will continue to be strong through any obstacle put in your path.

5. Midnight Memories 

Well not exactly midnight memories (I mean unless you have actual midnight memories). A journal is a perfect way to keep and read about your memories, even the smallest most irrelevant details about your day will be pretty cool to read about in five years.

Journals are really cool and they can reflect your personality or your thoughts, if you are completely open to expressing yourself on those pages. You can get one with a clever, witty, or inspirational quote on the front. Or even one with a picture of Paris (not Geller, unless that’s the Paris you wanted on the cover) or a collage of cool things that catch your attention. Anything that will make you happy and excited to reach for the little notebook, open it up, and write away.

Cover/All Photos: Taken by author, Joanna Barragan

• Journal
• memories
• practice
• stress
• writing