The summer I turned 16, I was going to be a staff-in-training (SIT) for my camp for four weeks, and then I would travel to Israel on a trip with them for three weeks. A combination of the excitement for my upcoming plans and the fact that I was having a hard time falling asleep at night, and was hoping to find a relaxing nighttime ritual, led me to buy a journal. I was given my first journal when I was six, and, although I loved it, I had never journaled consistently. That summer though, I vowed to write in my journal every night. I thought that after the summer was done I would end my journaling, but I soon realized that I got a lot out of journaling, and I decided not to stop after the summer. I have been journaling every single night for over three-and-a-half years now, and I could not be happier! There is so much that I love about journaling that I decided to share it with you, the readers.
Like I said earlier, when I started journaling I was looking for a relaxing nighttime ritual to help me fall asleep, and journaling really did give me that. Every night before I go to bed, I know that I have to write an entry. This immediately puts me into the mindset that I need to be winding down and getting ready to sleep. Also, releasing all of my thoughts that might be making me anxious or upset makes it less likely that I will be laying in bed dwelling on them. If you’re someone who, like me, has trouble falling asleep easily at night I would say: pick up a journal. You will find yourself so much more relaxed and ready to go to bed.
Additionally, getting all of your anxieties and worries out before you go to bed, is not just beneficial for sleeping, but just generally beneficial for life. I find that people, myself included, often leave a lot of thoughts pent up, which after a while can end up manifesting in them doing something mean or hurtful. Everyone has had that friend who will do a bunch of tiny annoying things, and you’ll let them go until, one day, you completely snap at them for something trivial. Well, that’s when journaling comes in handy. If you find that your small annoyances at your friend are not big enough to confront your friend about, you can get them all out of your system without having to snap. And, if you do want to confront someone or a situation, writing down your feelings beforehand is a great way to get your thoughts in order. Also, journaling is so much more beneficial than talking or complaining about a friend or a situation to other friends.
On a brighter note, journaling does not just have to be used when you are upset and want to dispose it from your system. Journaling is also amazing for recording the big, small, and everything-in-between life events. One of my favorite things to do with my journals is to reread old entries. Some people say that they hate reading old writings and thoughts over again, but I think this is really important. We do not reflect enough in our day-to-day life, and we usually let things pass by without thinking too much about it. It’s important to remember who you were two years ago or two days ago, and it’s important to reflect on old entries.
And then, of course, there is my favorite thing about journaling…. Writing! For those who love writing but can never seem to find time to write, journaling is the best thing to do. So, even if you cannot seem to find a moment to write you will still be able to get a few lines in a day. Although it is more memoir-type writing, it will still help you if you want to be writing fiction or anything else. Over the years my “voice” has really changed and improved because of my consistent journaling. Also, pro-tip for those that cannot find enough time each night to write: for the nights that you feel too tired to journal, or you are just not in the mood, write only one or two sentences. Even if the sentence is “I’m so tired! Long day!” at least you’ve written something, and you won’t lose the motivation to stop writing.
And there you have it, my favorite reasons to journal. If you also partake in this hobby, let me know in the comments!
Image credits: Hannah Davidoff, Pinterest.com, theabsolutemag.com