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The Benefits of Journaling and Why Fall is the Best Time to Start

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Remember when you were little and you had a pink unicorn journal with a cheap lock on it that could be busted open with minimal force. No? Back then, in 1991, we called it a diary and they were considered a top-secret collection of experiences and their corresponding moods. Research has shown that the benefits of journaling are endless and I’m not sure we’re utilizing the healing power of written word as much as we could be. Journaling is the perfect way to unload in a perfectly safe space and create room for new experiences and thoughts to calibrate. I happen to love journaling for its’ ability to allow me to further understand how I feel about the regular happenings of life. I’ll also say that keeping a journal is somehow sentimental and feels romantic. Perhaps I’ve simply watched too many romantic comedies.  

Without writing down my insights, emotional experiences and everything in between I am often left feeling too full and this for me, results in a feeling of being clogged up, mentally. I particularly adore the way my journal allows me to bring whatever I need to the table without judgment. An unintentional side effect of journaling is that I can informally practice my diction and cadence, although it truly isn’t that serious. Some entries are misspelled and short and others as beautifully produced as a graduate dissertation. Again, my journal doesn’t judge my intoxicated entries, nor my Pulitzer worthy pieces (yes, I’m laughing). We are allowed to show up in the way we most need at that time. Additionally, journaling helps us to stay in the moment while penning a entry, try focusing on next weeks’ schedule while writing a thoughtful entry (and send me the finished product!). For those of you who don’t enjoy sitting for meditation can use journaling as a way to practice mindfulness, while at the same time employing some incredibly healthy expression.

Autumn is a perfect time to start journaling about your hopes, dreams, fears and anxieties. For those of us who don’t particularly plan on romancing the rain (raises hand) can use this time to cozy up with a cute notebook, a cup of tea and begin writing. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it only has to be authentic. Fall journaling is the perfect antidote to waiting for Christmas.

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