5 reasons why you should journal

If you're like me, your journal is very inconsistent. I get hooked for a couple weeks and then it’ll be months before I write again. Recently I’ve been journaling about every other day and I can’t believe I ever stopped. Even if you don't think journaling is your style I want to show you 5 reasons why you should at least try it out! 

1. Journaling keeps you sane.

Journaling clears my mind. My mind literally never stops so journaling is kind of like a brain dump for me. I get everything out and am often surprised by what I end up writing. By writing down all my thoughts I get a chance to process things slowly. Things I may be upset or stressed about before I journal don't seem as big once I get it all out on the page. It’s a lifesaver. 

2. Journaling is a form of prayer.

When things are too painful to pray about I find myself writing out my prayers. There’s something about seeing my conversation with God written out that makes me so so grateful for Him. I’m reminded that no matter what I may be going through, I have a God who hears and even reads all prayers. 

It also gives me a record of what the people around me need prayer for. We’ve all been in that position where someone has told us a struggle and we say, “I’ll be praying for you” only to forget it 5 minutes later. Taking the time to write out what your people need shifts the focus from you to them. You can better serve your neighbors and love them well when you lift them up in prayer. 

3. Journaling slows you down. 

When you journal you are forced to look back at your day and observe all that happened. You give your mind a chance to decompress from the hustle and bustle. Instead of looking at your phone right before bed you can jot down a few things that happened that day. You remember what was good and what didn't go quite as planned. You lay it out on paper and are reminded that it wasn't just another day, it was a day given to you by God. 

4. Journaling keeps you writing.

Penmanship is a lost art. It may sound silly but just think about it. How often are you forced to write more than a sentence? Growing up I always admired my mom’s handwriting. It’s so consistent and beautiful. Her cursive letters are so dainty and clear. I would always wish that when I grew up I would be able to write just like her. That didn't quite happen because I was never forced to practice! In this digital world more and more things don’t require a pen and paper. Take some time to slow down (no. 3) and appreciate the written word. Maybe even write a letter?

5. Journal so you can look back on all God has done. 

Flipping through old journals I am seriously in awe of how far I’ve come. I have journals dating back to middle school days where my greatest worry was if the cute boy was going to talk to me in class. And into my high school angsty days when I hated my parents and wanted to move out immediately. 

Journals carry your journey. 

Being able to go back and see the prayers that were answered, the doors that were closed, or even funny stories that you just had to write down is such a gift. You are taken back to that younger version of yourself that was doing the very best they could. In those moments you were convinced God had left, you see that He was working all along.

"In the diary you find proof that in situations which today would seem unbearable, you lived, looked around and wrote down observations, that this right hand moved then as it does today, when we may be wiser because we are able to look back upon our former condition, and for that very reason have got to admit the courage of our earlier striving in which we persisted even in sheer ignorance." 

—Franz Kafka, The Diaries 1910-1923