The Power of Journaling

Recently I created a prayer journal to log my thoughts and prayers. It helps me to remember what I want to pray for and what to meditate on in my me/prayer time. It helps me to be strategic and consistent in my prayer life. So I thought well it would be really nice to have a self care journal for me; just for me. No praying for anyone else, just my thoughts and feelings. Face it, if I don't take care of myself first, I can't take care of anyone else. I don't have a paperback journal or book. I created a digital selfcare journal that is easy to use and access in Google Slides. Google Slides is an app found in your Google email apps. So when you are ready to journal simply open your Google email and then Google Slides. I also found out that there are powerful benefits to journaling as well.

Here are five powerful benefits of journaling:

Reduces Stress.

An overwhelming feeling of stress can be damaging to your physical, mental, and emotional health. It’s proven. Journaling is an amazing stress management tool, an easy, inexpensive habit that decreases the blow of physical stressors on your health. In fact, a study showed that expressive writing (like journaling) for only 15 to 20 minutes a day three to five times over the course of a four-month period was enough to lower blood pressure and improve liver functionality. Plus, writing about traumatic experiences can help you manage them in a healthy and safe way that won't influence you to participate in risk behaviors. Implementing journaling as a pre-bedtime meditation habit to help you unwind and de-stress.

Improves Immune Function.

Believe it or not, expressive writing can strengthen your immunity and decrease your risk of illness. Those who journal raved about improved immune system functioning (it strengthens immune cells!) as well as lessened symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Expressive writing has been shown to improve liver and lung function and combat certain diseases; it has even been reported to help the wounded heal faster.

Keeps Memory Sharp.

Journaling helps keep your brain in great shape. Not only does it boost memory and comprehension, it also increases working memory capacity, which may reflect improved cognitive processing.

Boosts Mood.

Want more sunshine in your life? Try journaling. A rare social and behavior outcome of journaling is this: it can improve your mood and give you a greater sense of overall emotional well-being and joy.

Strengthens Emotional Functions.

Related to mood is how journaling benefits overall emotional health: As journaling habits are developed, benefits become long-term, meaning that writers become more concerned with their health by connecting with inner needs and desires. Journaling promotes mindfulness and helps writers remain present while keeping perspective. It presents an opportunity for emotional release from strong feelings and helps the brain regulate emotions. It provides a greater sense of confidence and self-identity. Journaling can help in the management of personal challenges and change, and highlight important patterns and growth in life. Research even shows that expressive writing can help individuals develop more structured, adaptive, and integrated schemes about themselves, others, and the world. What’s more, journaling unlocks and engages right-brained creativity, which gives you access to your full brain function.

Here is the Selfcare Journal I created just for you being here: