Journaling

Benefits of Journaling

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Journaling for Moms

I used to do journaling as a kid and a teen… definitely enjoyed seeing my thoughts on paper 😀

Now as a Mother, I find journaling a great way to have some me-time and recharge my batteries and mental wellness. Journaling also helps your thoughts get organized!

I recently came across a few interesting articles about the further benefits of journaling. Based on these inspirations, I put together a Gratitude Journal that I will be able to use on a daily basis – and hopefully, I will also enjoy checking back to it years later 😊

So what are the benefits of journaling? And why (and how 😅) a busy Mom should find some time for it? 😊

Top 8 Benefits of Journaling

1. Gratitude

One of the best benefits of journaling for Moms is gratitude. 

It happened to me lately, that I was so stressed and worried about a bunch of daily tasks to fulfill… and then spoke to someone with a serious health issue… At that moment I re-evaluated my whole situation and felt gratitude for the level of the problems I had.

Journaling is an easy way to express gratitude and make it a part of your daily routine. Research shows that people who write down what they are grateful for every day experience greater happiness, better health, and lower levels of stress than those who don’t.

2. A Less Stressful Day

Another benefit of journaling for Moms is that it can help to make your day less stressful. When we write down or speak aloud about the things that are stressing us out, we often find that they aren’t as bad as we thought they were. 

If you journal every day, you will also have a record of your thoughts and feelings so that you can look back on them at any time. This can be especially helpful when dealing with major life events such as divorce or illness in the family. 

Journaling helps you to de-stress by allowing you to get your thoughts out on paper. It’s also a great way to reflect on the events of your day, whether they are good or bad, and figure out how to move forward with a positive perspective.

3. Improved Sleep

Studies found that people who kept a journal before bedtime reported having more restful sleep than those who didn’t. The researchers speculated that writing down your thoughts and feelings before going to sleep allows you to clear your mind so that you can fall asleep faster and have a better quality of sleep. 

Journaling can help you sleep better because it allows you to process your thoughts and feelings. When we are stressed or worried about something, our minds often race with all of the things we need to do and think about. This can make it difficult for us to fall asleep at night, especially if we have insomnia. By writing down your thoughts in a journal before bedtime, you will be able to clear your mind of any unnecessary stressors that could be keeping you up at night.

If you are like me – fascinated by to-do lists 😅 – you can also add to your journaling routine a reflection for the next day. I find it relieving when I go to bed that I know exactly what is expected from me the next day.

4. More Energy

Because you’re getting better quality sleep, you will have more energy throughout the day. Lack of sleep can make it difficult to concentrate and focus on tasks at work or school, which can lead to procrastination. Having more energy means that you’ll be able to get things done faster and more efficiently than before.

After a great night’s sleep, I am usually more patient and cheerful even during the morning rush. So it is a real benefit for the whole family 😁

5. Venting Out

Sometimes we need to get things off our chest. Writing down your thoughts in a journal is a great way to vent out and express yourself without saying anything that could hurt others. If you are feeling stressed or anxious about something, writing down how you feel can help with your mental health as well.

6. Getting To Know Yourself Better

I think one important factor for mental wellness is self-awareness. Getting to know yourself better is a key to reaching that. Various other methods exist (eg. if you manage to find time for reading related books as a busy mom that can also be really helpful), and I think we all need to find the unique mix of these that we need to practice.

Journaling is one great way to support this process. I often feel that there are many thoughts in my head at the same time, and it can be hard to define them… Having a journal is a great way to reflect on your thoughts and feelings, as well as express them. When you write down your thoughts in a journal, you are able to see how far you’ve come or what still needs improvement. 

It also helps us become more aware of our feelings, which is essential for emotional intelligence. Self-reflection is a good way to get to know yourself better. By keeping a journal, you can learn more about what makes you happy and how to achieve it. You can also track your progress over time as well as notice any changes that happen in your life.

7. Greater Focus And Productivity

You can use your journal for planning and reflection too! Adding some bullet journal pages to your calendar or gratitude journal can help you organize and arrange your tasks and focus on the most important and urgent ones first.

And how great it feels to mark some tasks fulfilled 😁

8. Healing And Recovery

I think we all face issues in our life that are harder to heal from. If you write your feelings about the things you feel too hard to speak about you can get some relief, and give a great push to the healing process. 

I like reading my old journals. It can also support recovery from hard situations to read about what you already managed to get through!

Tips for Starting a Journal

I would say, just do it 😊

It might feel strange at first to see your thoughts written on paper. Or even formulate your thoughts in a way that can be written down. But you will notice it goes smoother and smoother with time. And looking back to what you have written the previous days can also give you a great push to continue journaling!

The two biggest issues Moms need to face – besides taking a big breath and starting writing – are finding time for journaling, and finding the right journal.

Find Time for Journaling

It is so important to find me time for those things that are helping you to relax and recharge! I steel some time for myself for doing some workouts in the mornings, before everyone else would wake up.

You can also try to use calm early morning for writing some lines in your journal while having a cup of tea and coffee. Sounds great, isn’t it? When starting the day with a few moments of self-care, you can be sure that you will be more patient in the morning rush, and just to calm your Mom guilt, some me time for Mom is definitely beneficial for the whole family 😊

Alternatively, or additionally, you can also find some time before going to sleep for writing a few lines in your journal. I personally prefer this version, as this way I can write about the happenings of the day, adding and organizing my thoughts regarding the tasks for the next day. It feels so great to fall asleep after a little journaling time.

Get a Pretty Journal

I mean really, it is so important to find a journal that makes you happy to look at, hold in your hand, and write in it!

Blog freebies 1

The style, the cover page, and the individual pages should appeal to you. You can decide to use a hardcover one from a stationary store or buy one online. The ones above are downloadable printables – so you just buy them on Etsy, print them at home, and you can start to use them immediately. 

I am still wondering which one of these to choose and start at the beginning of next year as my own gratitude journal.😊

Journal Prompts for Moms

Pre-made gratitude journals can help you with prompts that you can reflect on day by day.

But here are a few ones that you can use if you prefer to draft your own journal by yourself!

  • One thing that made my life easier today was…
  • I am grateful that my home…
  • I am thankful for this lesson I learned…
  • One beautiful thing I saw today was…
  • I am glad that my kids…

Feel free to use these prompts, add some more that are fitting even more to you and your life, and start journaling!

Takeaway

Journaling can really improve your quality of life as a Mom! Grab this chance and a pretty journal today! 😊

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