Once upon a time...
We were given prompts in school to write in class or at home. Sometimes it was seen as a nuisance; a rote task that didn't have any purpose. It turns out, there are multiple health benefits of journaling across the lifespan. Some of these benefits include:
1. Increase Empathy
As we read or write about the lives of others, we are able to delve into their complex and sometimes very different emotional experiences. Over time, there can be an underlying connection of human suffering, joys, or accomplishments, that we are able to tap into. It's common for many of us to think that others, especially if they look dramatically different from us, do not experience difficulties in life. Taking time to write or read about the stories of others can help increase one's understanding that what we see is not always the entire story.
2. Increase Creativity
Writing with prompts can help increase one's ability to expand on creativity. Sometimes writers have lots of doubt with their art form. The masters know that writing every day is an essential task to increase their creative flow. Writing every day can help boost creative confidence. For those starting out, being silly or writing random stories that could never happen may help promote a creative outlet for those who think they're not creative. (This is a lie we tell ourselves, btw. It's just something society has told us to grow out of because we're "adults." Nurture your creativity by writing again.)
3. Increase Goal-Setting & Confidence
Lots of us *ahem* try to remember everything in our heads. It's almost impossible to do, and yet, we continue to think to ourselves, "I'll remember it all." It's okay to use journals to write things down. This can help built habits of prioritizing responsibilities, and seeing which chores we tend to do last or forget most often. Crossing items off a list is also very satisfying. This visual of accomplishments (no matter how small the task) is very rewarding, and can help increase confidence.
4. Increase Memory
Some of us have a hard time remembering things. Sometimes it's because our brain wiring is different, and we haven't had the practice to remember things in a way that sticks. This may or may not be related to trauma, but there are correlations of early trauma causing some brains to wire in a way that promotes survival. This translates to some data not being necessary for long-term memory. Writing about your day chronologically can help slowly increase memory. After a while, little details can be more easily remembered. An improved memory can help with work or school performance, as well as interpersonal relationships (loved ones ask for tasks to be done, and instead of forgetting, it gets done!)
5. Increase Healing
Journaling is a common intervention in therapy. Writing out one's story can help put pieces of a puzzle together, and get unwanted emotions outside of the body. It is because of stigmas of mental health, and earlier experiences with sharing intense emotions that many of us choose to suffer silently, and alone. Keeping emotions inside can negatively affect one's physical and mental wellness. It is essential to get one's story and emotions outside of the body to heal. When there aren't safe spaces to share, writing about intense or normal experiences can help one attune with their emotional state, and process the meaning of these events.
