Health Benefits of Daily Journal Writing

It wouldn't be wrong to say that daily journal writing is a form of daily meditation. It reduces stress, clarifies your thoughts, and strengthens your immune system.

Back in school, my English teacher always encouraged us students to write journals on a daily basis, recording in it, our daily activities, the experiences that influenced us emotionally, and the incidences that made us realize some significant aspect of life.

She made it sound so easy, "Just 15 minutes a day will make you realize how different and valuable each and every day of this life is." But we were in school, and seriously, back then, who really cared ... at least, I didn't!

I never really realized how powerful the act of journal writing could be, till I reached my late teens. You know how it is ... you're going through some important phases of "growing up", learning how to differentiate between people who are good, and let's say, not so good for you.

It often happened with me that when I tried to find a confidant, I seldom found anyone around, and finally found solace in writing down my bewildered thoughts. I guess, it was one way to lead me to discovering the path of how writing could―and it did―do wonders in my life.

Following are the points that explain how daily journaling heals us, not only spiritually, but also physically and mentally.

Over the years, stress has evolved to be the root cause of various physical and mental ailments ranging from anxiety to depression to heart problems to migraines.

The best thing about daily journal writing is that you are pouring out your personal thoughts, without worrying about any form of judgment. We are wired in such a way that our suppressed thoughts tend to make us feel more anxious. We need to seek assurance, and we need to process and understand those experiences that were not easy for us to digest.

Writing helps you in "digesting" these thoughts. Research has also proved it. The magic is that writing our innermost feelings helps our mind process and understand the situation, eventually helping us be in peace with the problem, to a certain extent, and gradually accepting it. The end result of the process―reduced stress levels.

A disturbed mind has no place for clarity, without which it is impossible to have sound health. It is only a clear mind that responds to the nutrients we absorb, the therapies we indulge in, and so on. It has been proven that writing journal entries on a daily basis helps improve the quality of life.

It clarifies the thought process and helps you in prioritizing and differentiating between thoughts that are unnecessary from those that are productive. When I write down my journal, I don't even remember how many times I write the sentence, "Why on earth am I thinking about this? How is it important?"

Eventually, I have learned to focus on thoughts that are necessary. You focus on things that are fruitful, and you learn to differentiate. Yes, it takes time, but you learn. Trust me, it makes life seem less complicated.

Yes, you read that right. Isn't it surprising how writing down your inner feelings can make your immune system stronger? No wonder, stress makes your body a home of illnesses!

Anyway, coming back to the point, 15 minutes of writing down the influential experiences of your life increases the response of the antibodies in our immune system, thereby, making us stronger and healthier.

It is proven by research that people who started writing journal entries daily, did not visit their physician as much as they did earlier. Astonishing, isn't it? The way writing heals us without even charging any fee!

When our life is surrounded by worries related to the future, guilt trips related to the past, and hopeless thoughts resulting from emotional injuries that linger on to the present, how is it possible to have a peaceful sleep at night? Who is to blame for the rapid increase in the consumption of sleeping pills all across the globe?

While there was a study that stated how consumption of sleeping pills has increased the risk of death, another study also states that decanting the causative thoughts of sleepless nights in a diary before you go to bed, or any other time, would help you sleep peacefully.

This is because, your mind has let out those disturbing triggers that disrupt your sleep. So, the next time your thoughts and worries prevent you from a good night's sleep, catch hold of the good ol' way of transferring those thoughts on paper.

Another wondrous benefit of daily diary entry is that it acts as a means to improve your memory and ability to concentrate. A lot of points mentioned above are connected with this fact.

As discussed earlier, writing reduces the unwanted clutter in your head, gives you a peaceful sleep, reduces stress―all these factors being essential for effective brain functioning. Research shows that people who have the habit of writing their thoughts and daily activities in a diary, are able to resist distraction and remember things more clearly.

This is because the data wandering in your mind gets a chance to be registered, accepted, and is therefore, easier to remember.

This subheading means what you're thinking, and more. Yes, not only does jotting down your emotionally taxing experiences helps you shape your mind in the right direction, but it also helps in shaping up your body! Surprised?

A study by Kaiser Permanente's Center for Health Research states that maintaining a daily record of what you eat, can double the amount of weight you lose.

This is how it works: When we write down the number of calories we consume on a daily basis, our mind becomes more aware of our unhealthy habits, which enables us to alter the unwanted behavior―which in this case is unhealthy eating habits. Writing not only makes one more aware, but also fortifies one to be more determined towards achieving his/her goals.

Daily journal writing has shown wondrous results among patients with serious ailments, such as cancer. A report published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management in June 2008 stated that cancer patients who penned their traumatic experiences with cancer, and how it affects them, experienced less pain.

The more open they were in their entries, the better they felt. This practice has also yielded positive results in patients with health problems, such as asthma, arthritis, and AIDS.

I think, what we all desperately seek is assurance. Our mind needs to understand, evaluate, process, and be assured about the experiences that strongly influence us emotionally; and writing has proved to be a powerful medium for the same.

Writing is more than what it seems; it has miraculous powers to counsel us, to help us understand ourselves, and evaluate the what, why, and when of life. I have experienced its positive impact on my life, and many renowned personalities, such as Oprah Winfrey and Rhonda Byrne encourage people to write about things that they feel grateful for.

The essential point is to let out the chaos, and let in the peace and wellness. So, gift yourself a journal today, gift yourself the secret to a healthy life, and see how daily journal writing helps you become your best counsel ... your best friend.