The Importance of Journal Writing and Ideas to Get Started

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Have you ever had just an amazing day that you never wanted to forget? Or you met someone, and wanted to remember the day, time, place, and initial feelings? Journal writing is a great way to put feelings and experiences in a more permanent place. 

I received my first journal at the age of 8. I wrote in it with a marker and my spelling wasn’t terribly awesome.

Many Sundays were spent with my Mom calling a timeout to write in our journals. She didn’t care what we wrote, or how long, just that we wrote something down. I loved it but really didn’t understand why I needed to write down my life.

Surely no one would want to know what my 8-year-old self thought. The truth is, though, journal writing is important and has many benefits. Most aren’t apparent right away though.

Why is Journal Writing Important?

History. The biggest reason to write a journal is for your posterity. One of my favorite things to do is read journals written by my ancestors. It gives insight into how they lived, and connects me to my past. Beyond personal reasons though, without people writing down their story, we would have no history to study and learn from. Without history, we could not grow and progress. Your journal could be the key to progression in the future.

Reminders. Let’s face it, our memories just aren’t that great as we age. There is only so much we can remember as the years’ progress. I’ve recently come to the realization that I’ve forgotten most of my childhood, except very specific memories. Going back to my journals has recently helped me realize that my preteen is actually quite normal – in fact, she may be more emotionally adept than I was!

Therapy. In a world focusing more on mental health, may I suggest that journal writing can be a form of therapy. As women, I feel we hold a lot of our emotions inside. I came across one journal entry where I said “I was very hyper. Actually, I was just trying to mask my real feelings – deep down inside I was hurting. I was sad and depressed.” Being able to write those feelings down, instead of continuing to bury them I know helped me through whatever was going on. 

How To Write a Journal

Pen and Paper. Of course, the oldest way to write your story is putting it down with pen and paper. There are millions of options out there for old-fashioned journal writing. If you need ideas to get your writing, there are journals with prompts on each page. You can also use these prompts in a jar. One thing I want to try is writing a dual journal. This is where you take turns writing with someone else. It could be a marriage journal for spouses, or a mother/child journal.

Life Planner. This one is completely new to me, but I got a Mormon Mom Planner for Christmas, and it’s so much more than just a planner! It’s basically a journal of my life this year. With areas to write quotes, a place to keep track of my kids wants and needs, and my favorite Sunday inspiration section, it has a space for everything I use to write in a traditional journal. Many planners these days have these same options. So if journal writing or blogging just isn’t for you – consider a Life Planner that is more than just a calendar and to do list.