This Is What Happens When You Journal Daily For A Year

Here we are in 2019, and I for one could not be more excited and grateful. Grateful for all that 2018 taught me. Excited because I get to take the lessons forward into this new year and leave behind what no longer serves me.

One of my favorite tools to help me on my personal growth and health journey is my journal.

Journaling has taught me so much more than I could possibly express in one short blog, but allow me to share some of the best benefits.

What happens when you journal daily for a year

You increase your self-confidence, spark creativity, remember what you have been grateful for and how your gratitude grows, you learn to manage your emotions, you write down your goals and realign them as they and you shift, you heal more deeply from trauma, you let your dreams speak powerfully into your life, you learn a state of mindfulness you never knew before, you strengthen your ability to communicate your ideas... In essence, more than you could have ever imagined!

The top 3 benefits I feel are worth honing a bit more include; a form of self-care, ‘free’ therapy and it can assist you in finding powerful life lessons. I always tell my clients, you can’t measure what you don’t track. And it’s true, when we keep track of our life in a variety of ways we have a tool for observation and reflection that is very powerful in helping us to find what is working and what isn’t. So then you can really hone in on creating your best life and taking actions that best serve you.

We are more likely to remember things when we write them down, including important life lessons and epiphanies. I want to remember what I do this year, how about you? I love reviewing memories. One of my habits is to read my Facebook memories each day. I get a little bummed when I don’t have much to read or didn’t post many photos. Life and time flow by and memories can fade. I personally enjoy reflection it brings me so much joy and teaches me things about myself as well.

Writing in a journal each day allows you to direct your focus to what you accomplished to what your grateful for and what you’re committed to doing better tomorrow. Thus you more deeply enjoy your journey each day. ~ Hal Elrod

Keeping A Journal Can Help You To Gain Confidence In Yourself

I re-read my entire journal from 2018 over the holiday break. I tend to re-read my journals here and there but this year I was very intentional about it. I planned ahead to read it just after Christmas and before New Year’s Eve, so I could reflect and better prepare to set my intentions for the New Year.

Writing in a journal is like having a conversation with yourself. When you get to know yourself better, it’s much easier to see what’s standing in between you and your goals, wants, desires.

If a lack of confidence is standing between you and the life that you want, you need to dig deep and uncover where that lack of confidence is coming from. All of the positive affirmations in the world won’t help you if you can’t identify where the issue started in the first place.

When I went through my darkest times in life, writing in my journal every day was how I found myself. It was how I kept my sanity, alleviated depression and anxiety and grew confident in my own inner wisdom.

When you actually learn to trust your inner wisdom you feel so much peace and gain so much clarity. This brings a level of confidence because you can trust yourself to know what you need. Which is incredibly valuable because you will be able to take that confidence and live your life on purpose. Imagine that!

“If you want to reach your goals and fulfill your potential, become intentional about your personal growth. It will change your life.” ~ John Maxwell

Free 'Therapy' & Help Finding Your Life Lessons

My journal is a safe space for me to process how I feel each day. It’s also where I write what is happening regularly. I write down my actual dreams so I can see what messages my subconscious is trying to send me. It’s where I write what I’m learning, what I want and share more about the kids. When I don’t have someone I can talk to about something I feel I need to process, I go to my journal and I write out what I’m thinking and feeling.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am all about receiving actual therapy and I believe everyone alive today can benefit from therapy. But with journaling, you can really see common themes based on your feelings and start to hone in on what you truly need. Pay attention to what comes up consistently for you as your process your life and thoughts through journaling.

But don’t stop there use use your journal as a way to get to know yourself and tap into your emotional needs and well being. I believe the more we can be in tune with ourselves the better we are able to cope in life. Lord knows more of us need to wake up to what our souls want and desire. It’s a way to be honest with yourself which then in turn can give you the courage to communicate more honestly with others. It helps you to be vulnerable which is where the magic happens.

Opening up is one of the greatest ways to keep your emotions from running around with no direction (and  quite possibly ruining your life, ask me how i know).

According to the Center for Journal Therapy, an education and training center whose mission is “to make the healing art and science of journal writing accessible to all who desire self-directed change,” journaling is a healthy therapeutic tool for healing, growth, and change.

As long as you are redirecting your emotional journaling to better serve you and shift, it’s a powerful resource and quite therapeutic. I recommend including gratitude in each journal session if you can, it helps you to have a positive impact on your life and your outlook on the future.

I’m all about feeling everything and being okay with how you feel, no judgement. I also believe you can feel what you feel without letting it take over. You can also choose to see the beauty in your life, you probably have more to be grateful for than you even realize.

All it takes is choosing to see it and say it or write it down. I personally loved reading all of my gratitude from 2018 because I felt so much joy, love and contentment. And who doesn’t want to feel that way?

Keeping A Journal Is An Act Of Self Care

I’m all about radical self-care.

I believe it’s important to take time out for self-care and nourishment on a deeply personal and spiritual level. Your energy reserves can get truly depleted without you realizing it. so rather than pushing yourself even further, make time just for you.

There are so many ways you can do this but one of my favorites and highly recommended is to reconnect to your daily spiritual practices for inner fulfillment. Do whatever it takes to nurture your spirit and reconnect with your inner essence. Journaling helps me do this, I’m sure it can help you as well.

I set aside time just for journaling. It may seem lavish at first but eventually you may see it’s necessary.  Start small, even just 5 minutes first thing or at the end of the day instead of reading the news or hopping on social media. You’ll show yourself that you matter to you.

When you can give yourself the gift of self-care you’ll show up differently in your life. You’ll want to create healthier boundaries for yourself. Then you’ll teach others to do the same.

Self-care is about actively caring for your physical and mental health so that you can feel and be your best every day. If you don’t consistently fill your cup back up but are continuously pouring out (to do lists, activities, meeting others needs first), it will eventually be completely empty. Burnout is a very real thing my friends. It’s something I want to help you avoid at all costs.

Just like any healthy habit, it takes practice and time to reap the most benefit. Journaling as a form of self-care does pay off I promise.

If you are looking for support with a mentor and coach to empower you further than you can on  your own, so you can radically transform your health & life... I invite you to book a breakthrough session with me.  A breakthrough session is designed to provide you with clarity, confidence and effective tools to move beyond the challenges you are facing (in your health or life) and a simple action plan to follow so you can start creating a life you love.

Now, I'd love to hear from you. Do you journal? What life lessons have you learned from 2018? Let me know in the comments.