Our brains are amazing idea generating machines. But what it doesn’t do well is store those ideas. There’s simply no system for organizing all your thoughts, emotions, experiences, memories, and to-do lists inside your brain. Unless of course, you’ve built yourself a mind palace.

That’s where journaling comes in. Journaling is a very broad term, and there all kinds of journals to choose from depending on your needs. There are bullet journals, food journals, travel journals, dream journals, diaries… you get the picture. But if we break it down into its purest form, journaling simply means “writing stuff down.”

It sounds crazy simple, but numerous studies have shown how this small act of writing can help us in so many different ways; from productivity to mental health. Many of the greatest writers, artists, scientists, philosophers, and world leaders maintained a journal. And we’re giving you the top 6 reasons why should start journaling, too!

1. Keep a Record of Your Ideas

Whether it’s an idea for a book, a movie, or a business, we’ve all had amazing ideas. And the first step to turning that idea into reality is to write down. If you don’t, you risk forgetting it. Keeping a journal lets you pour all your ideas into one place wherever you are. Even seemingly bad ideas have the potential to lead you to better ones. You can build on them or connect them with others. But if you don’t write them down, you’ll never know what they could become.

It’s always better to write down a bad idea than forget a really good one. Not all of them will turn out great, but you only really need that one awesome idea to set you on a path to success.

2. Improve Your Writing and Communication Skills

If you’re one of those people who believe you can’t write to save your life, or feel you’re a “bad writer”, we have some good news! First of all, there are many who feel exactly the same. Second, you probably just lack practice.

Writing is a skill. And like all skills, you can develop them over time if you put in the hours. You don’t need talent to write, just like you don’t need talent to ride a bike. You just have to keep at it until you’ve finally get the hang of it.

Journaling consistently is a great way to practice the art of writing. It allows you to organize your thoughts, express your ideas, and help you discover your writing style. And because there’s a strong connection between writing and speaking, you also develop your speaking skills as well.

If you think your writing isn’t very good in the beginning, that’s perfectly normal. We all have to start somewhere. Even the best writers can write poorly. The point is to start, keep at it, and practice.

3. Track and Achieve Your Goals

When you write down your goals, you make them real. But that’s not even the half of it. If you want to reach your goals, you also need to figure out what you need to do to get there. When you go on a trip, you don’t just point at a destination and head in that direction. You need to know what steps to take. What do you need to pack? Do you drive, ride the bus, or take a plane? Where will you stay when you get there?

Knowing where you’re going isn’t half as important as knowing how to get there. Journaling not only makes it easy to track how well you’re progressing, but it also keeps you accountable for what you’re trying to accomplish.

4. Boost Your Mental Health and Reduce Stress

Seeing yourself progress toward your goals also gives you a boost of confidence to motivate you even more. And that’s just one of the ways journaling can help improve your mental and emotional health.

As you develop your habit, you gradually become more aware and mindful of what’s going on in your life. Writing down what you’re thinking, how you’re feeling, or how you react to certain situations help you become more aware of your thoughts and emotions. It’s way better—and healthier—than just storing them in the back of your mind and not dealing with them at all!

Over time, you’ll get to know yourself better. You can identify your strengths and weaknesses, recognize and understand your triggers, or just help you make sense of what you’re going through. Just being able to express yourself fully and without judgement can help you cope with loss, adversity, and change.

Putting it all down on paper is also an amazing stress-management tool. Rather than let your negative thoughts loop around your head, expressing it all in a journal can help release your anxiety and help you manage it in a much healthier way. A study showed how journaling about a traumatic experience for as little as 15 minutes a day for just four consecutive days led to long-term decreases in health problems.

The more you get to know yourself, the more confident you’ll become. In short, journaling helps you grow as a person. And that’s just awesome!

5. Be More Creative

Journals are a safe space where you can just let your imagination run wild. Sometimes you might just have a seed of an idea, but writing it down can help flesh it out even more.

Many writers use journaling to record whatever comes to mind without having to censor themselves, or use writing prompts to get them started on an idea. Artists also use journals to sketch and paint ideas they may have for future paintings, whether it’s something that popped into their heads or something they saw. When they finally get down to work, they now have lots of ideas to choose from.

6. Improve Your Memory

There’s good reason why you should take notes in class. That’s because writing what your teacher’s saying is like learning it twice; once by hearing it, and again by writing it down. The simple act of writing notes by hand helps reinforce your memory of what you just learned. Plus, you now have a record of the lesson that you can refer to when you need it, which helps you remember it even more!

This doesn’t only help you remember better, it also trains your brain to retain more information.

How to Get Started

The best part about journaling is that there are no rules. It doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, it’s not supposed to be. You don’t have to show any one what you write. It’s there for your own personal benefit.

Start small. If you can commit just two minutes a day to journaling, you’ll find it becomes much easier the more you do it. There will be days when two minutes feels like an eternity, but there will be others when you find the words just start pouring out of you.

Do you have any tips on how to start the habit of journaling. Let us know in the comments below!