Why You Should Start Journaling In 2021

Abby Angel

January 10, 2021

Journaling started way back, come to think of it, when “Dear Diary” was a thing that was already considered as journaling – logging in your raw thoughts and emotions.

Indeed, 2020 didn’t go easy on us. However, this 2021, let’s make it a brighter and better year for ourselves and the people around us. As for how they phrase it “new year, new goals.” So for sure, you have tried writing a new year’s resolutions and only to find out by the end of the year that you’ve forgotten about these resolutions? I feel you! For 2021, it is about time we start journaling

Journaling helps things become clearer and more comfortable to comprehend

When you have a problem, it is so easy to get lost with overthinking. You can go on for minutes up to hours just overthinking thoughts or making up scenarios in your head that probably more than half of it won’t happen, but we are guilty of this bad habit. Our first result when a problem has surfaced is to worry about the situation. However, this is also how we come up with solutions to that problem. Emptying your mind and transferring that problem into writing helps you see a clearer perspective, making it easier for you to understand. Instead of problem-storing, you are problem-solving.

Journaling helps you do self-reflection

As a human being who craves validation, happiness, and value, it can be so easy to put on a mask for social media. Make people think that you live your perfect life and are at your best self when there is no such thing in reality. Your journal is for your eyes only, and this is the safest place where you can write down your real thoughts and emotions and not worry about judgment. It can be very challenging, identifying the ugly parts of you – most honest self – attitudes, mistakes, secrets, bad habits, etc. But journaling will help you understand yourself even more.

Journaling helps improve mental clarity and focus.

Are you the type of person who can’t function when your space is cluttered? I get you. It’s like once my desk is clean and decluttered, I can think and perform better. Little did I know that there could be mental clutter that needs the work too. It is so easy to think of your worries continually and act like nothing’s wrong. Still, it’s affecting your productivity and sucking out the happiness in everything you do in a closer perspective. When journaling, you transfer the emotions, thoughts, worries, and fears from your head to paper. That way, it empties the mind, and you can see clearly from a birds-eye perspective.

Journaling will help you grow as a person.

Growth as a person is one of the goals each person should achieve. Development helps you become contented, happy, and whole. But it is undoubtedly not a steady ride to take. Logging in your journal the different seasons of your life and going back and forth to these seasons allows you to see how much growth you’ve achieved through time. You can recall what you did wrong, and so you don’t get burned by the same flame twice because you know what to do this time around. Allowing yourself to learn from your own mistakes and see yourself grow as a person.