Anne Frank’s diary has become famous throughout the world, as we read about living in a Nazi occupied Holland through a young Jewish girl’s eyes. Marco Polo (Perhaps the earliest travel bloggers – lol!) wrote in his journal as he travelled through Asia and Europe. Charles Darwin made it a habit to keep notebooks to record his thoughts and observations. Modern influencers such as Oprah Winfrey, Tim Ferris and Richard Branson maintain a daily gratitude journal.
Of course, you don’t have to be famous to keep a journal. Many of us say to ourselves “nothing happened today – so there’s nothing to journal about” or “I want to write, but I don’t have the time”. Journaling is something that you do for yourself, where you can express your deepest thoughts, without fear of reproach. It’s a place where you don’t need to care about what others are thinking and freely write to your heart’s desire so that you can grow and expand. The biggest question people have about journaling is: Does Journaling work and if so why?
It’s helpful to take a moment and think about the history of journal writing. For thousands of years people have inscribed or written their ideas, stories or experiences. Humans had little information about the world around them, yet they felt compelled to tell their story and record it somehow. Today, people create journals for art, daily records, song writing, creative expression, personal development and gratitude.
Our soul, body and mind respond to journal writing as there’s been countless scientific research to demonstrate that journal writing benefits the mind and the body by allowing the brain to regulate emotions. How often do I journal? When I feel like it! (Which is most days!)
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