Three reasons you should start journaling

Author:
Rebecca Groombridge

Rebecca is changing lives in her gap year as a Yipiyap Tutor. Think you could be a future Yipiyap?

I have always been interested in documenting my memories. I love reminiscing while flicking through old photos. I have recently started scrapbooking and find the process really relaxing. I have been letting my creative juices flow while creating beautiful pages full of photos, tickets, and notes from the past year. It’s something I have always wanted to try but never quite found the time, opting for the simpler approach of slotting my photo prints into a shop-bought album instead. Unlike scrapbooking, I started journaling around five years ago.

How did I start journaling?

If I’m honest, the thing that appealed to me most about journals and planners was the aesthetically pleasing photos I had seen on Instagram. I would feel inspired by the plethora of pages decorated with patterned sticky tape, carefully written headings, and the artists’ meticulous drawings in the borders. This was where I started when beginning to journal myself. I found that making my journal colourful and representative of my personality, made me more motivated to stay organised and write in it every day. However, I quickly found that creating colourful doodles was not the only thing I enjoyed about the process.

How do bullet journals work?

Although there are many different approaches to journaling, all with different benefits, I was attracted to the bullet journal system, created by Ryder Carroll. The designer created his method of using various symbols, to organise tasks, notes, and future plans. He aimed to find an approach to planning which would help him stay focused and productive despite being diagnosed with a learning disability. I’m particularly drawn to Carroll’s belief that a journal should be whatever you need it to be. It’s important to me that I can customise my planner and have everything in one, easy to access, place. I will sometimes use my journal to purely write to-do lists but I have also used it to write daily reflections, track my academic grades, record recipes, and much, much more!

What are the benefits of journaling?

Journaling to boost productivity

Writing down daily tasks, no matter how small or simple, generally makes you more likely to accomplish them. Seeing everything I aim to achieve in a day written out on the page lets me think about the time I have and how to use it wisely. I can make a short-term plan by breaking down larger tasks into smaller, less intimidating, steps. People also usually like the satisfaction and sense of accomplishment they feel from marking a task as ‘done’ at the end of the day. That feeling of success prompts us to want to achieve the same again therefore motivating us to complete more tasks.

Journaling to process emotions

Reflecting on things by journaling can often help to process difficult emotions. It can have the same effect as talking things over with a friend. It helps you to distance yourself from the situation in order to gain perspective on your experiences. It is also often beneficial to have a record of past events and how these made you feel. You can look back on these and reflect on your progress and development since that date.

Writing in analogue to help memory

Finally, I’m really fond of the analogue aspect of journaling. Rather than keeping my calendar on my ‘phone, I’d much prefer to write it down. Studies suggest that the act of writing with a pen and piece of paper helps you to remember the information better than if you were to type it instead. This is helpful for notes and revision and also for scheduled events. In addition, I think that in general, it is healthy to take a step back from technology at the end of your day since we are increasingly spending more time in front of screens in our daily lives.

Should you try journaling?

Although I know not everyone is as passionate about journaling as I am, I hope considering some of my approaches to journaling and planning can help others find a system to assist them in staying organised. Feeling organised and on top of events can often reduce stress, improve sleep and relationships, and boost motivation. So, why not try journaling?