Do you journal?
Do you know what journaling is?
Journaling basically means writing down your thoughts in a journal. Sounds simple, right?
It’s an easy to use stress management tool that can improve your emotional, mental, spiritual, and psychological health.
And the best part about journaling is that you can do it any time of day, whenever you find the time. But, with that said, there may be some benefits to journaling at night, specifically right before you turn in.
So, if you don’t journal at all or journal during the day, you may change your mind after reading this post.
1. Clearing the mind
Have you ever gone to sleep with something on your mind because you know it needs to be done only to wake up in the middle of the night because you found yourself thinking about it?
Writing things down helps put your mind at ease. If you journal at night, you can think of all the things that came up during the day that need to be put on your to-do list. Just write it down at the end of the night and go to sleep with a clearer mind.
This brings me to my next point.
2. Self-reflection
If you go through the whole day and journal at night, you get the chance to recall and reflect the day. You can reflect on your feelings and thoughts, your behavior, your reactions, your stress levels, your mood, and more. You can also step back, so to speak, and see what went well and what didn’t.
Over time going back and reading through your journal will help you uncover both healthy and unhealthy patterns and lead you to discover where you can adjust your behavior, learn from your mistakes, change up your routines, etc.
3. Emotional balance
Writing is good therapy. It can serve as an outlet to express thoughts and feelings without rejection, judgment, or repercussions. If you are constantly keeping your emotions bottled up eventually the damage to your body will show up in the form of an illness, which could include inflammation, indigestion, a cold, or something else.
By writing down our thoughts and feelings, we release those emotions and the power they have over us and our health. Doing it at night, set’s us up for a good night’s sleep.
4. Memory boost
Journaling at night is a great way to exercise and boost your memory. Perhaps the kids are in bed and you can finally think straight without looking at the clock thinking you’re going to be late for work and you didn’t have to wake up at the crack of dawn to get some alone time.
Now with no distractions you have a better chance of remembering things that happened throughout the day so you can address them with a clearer mind.
5. Help heal
If you ever feel lonely, you can turn to your journal. If you’ve ever been hurt, you can turn to your journal. If you don’t feel like talking to somebody else about the hurt that you have experienced you can turn to your journal.
Journaling is your friend in the time of need, offering you comfort and no judgment (like in reason #3). Writing it down also creates a continuous record of your thoughts and emotions, allowing you to look back and see how you have grown as a person. Writing it down as night allows your mind to be free so you can get to sleep.
6. Forgiveness of others
Have you ever gone to bed mad at someone who did you wrong? Of course, who hasn’t?
Writing down your thoughts and feelings at the end of the day may help you forgive the other person.
Write a letter to them in your journal. Or write down the good things about that person. The letter and the list can be for your eyes only and can help you not be mad at that person anymore…or at least be less mad. Releasing a burden like this off your mind will surely help you rest through the night.
Do you journal? Do you journal at night or another time of day?
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