Journaling allows us to explore our own mind, reflect, and discover things about ourself we may not have known otherwise. As artist and author of the Create Your Own Calm guided journal, Meera Lee Patel, previously told mindbodygreen, “The purpose of journaling is to awaken conscious thinking, which is simply having an honest conversation with yourself.”
She adds that it’s a great way to get to know yourself a little better, noting, “Through journaling, I have learned how to organize my thoughts, alleviate stress, and challenge certain ideas and habits I previously believed were inherent parts of me.”
And research on journaling backs this up, too. Numerous studies show that journaling can help with everything from boosting your own emotional awareness, to increasing your mental wellbeing. As one 2018 study1 notes, in a web-based journaling protocol, participants showed less depressive symptoms and anxiety after one month of journaling, and greater resilience after the first and second month, relative to usual care.
Journaling prompts are simply questions or statements meant to help inspire you to write. If you’re unsure where to start or what to write about, they’re a great way to get your gears turning, with virtually limitless prompts to choose from. (That said, here are our favorite guided journals if you’re in the market for one.)
