You really need to be Journaling (why to journal and how to start and stay consistent)

If you have been reading this any of my self care posts this year, you will notice the emphasis I have placed on journaling as a form of self care. It isn’t like the “dear diary” of middle and high school where we wrote about boys and teachers who suck and frienemies.

Journaling as an adult is different. Sure, I still write about the daily happenings of my life. But it has become a time for me to reflect, think, and even pray; to set my intentions and write my gratitude list for the day.

And it is blessing me. I don’t think I have been more in touch with my emotions, dreams or goals as when I started journaling at the start of the year. In journaling my problems, it gives me my cathartic release that I may not have known I needed. In writing my gratitude list, it fills my heart with a daily dose of thankfulness. In siting a weekly intention, I guide myself into achieving a goal I want to set for the week with actionable steps.

And I am not the only one who embraces journaling. Cambridgerecently conducted a study that reveals that only “15–20 minutes on 3–5 occasions” of what they call “expressive writing” was enough to help participants in the study deal with emotional, stressful, even traumatic events, “Those who do so generally have significantly…