Benefits of Journaling

Journaling has always been a part of my life. It started at a very young age for me, I was probably 11 when I started, but reading back at those entries it makes me want to laugh at myself. It was all about the cute boys in school and the annoying things my older sisters had done to me that day. I found that reading these entries I had matured throughout the years. I see spelling mistakes, which would probably kill me, if I wrote them at this age. My family members were always more interested in science and since Polish was my parents first language English was one of those subjects where teachers would expect me to not do well in. Through my journaling I got much better in English. I understand where my mistakes are being made and it makes me a better writer for it. Every person that wanted to be writers but never achieved it had told me one thing: "Always keep writing". One of my professors told me this on our last day and for some reason it really stuck with me and as i made new friends in my English degree everyone kept telling me "you have to keep writing, even after you graduate". Now, I was not the best student. I rarely received A's but all my courses were always around B's because you know what they say:"B's get degrees". But, I never stopped writing and I do not plan on stopping. I enjoy it as a pass time and since discovering Vocal it has helped me expand my mind and do research about topics, which I thought would never interest me. Now you know how it has helped me, let's go over on how it can help you.

More and more people are being affected by mental illnesses. Depression unfortunately is one of the most common mental illnesses that exist. However, writing in a journal and having your thoughts on a piece of paper can make one feel better about themselves. Some people do not feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and inner feelings to a psychologist or even voicing your issues to your friends or spouse can be difficult. So, a good first step is writing down your feelings and how your day was. This then can help get to the root of your problem and figure out how to solve the problem. I am not saying that your depression will go away, but it can certainly decrease the issues, which you face every day.

If you or your child struggle with a language or even with writing you should start journaling. Everyone knows that practice makes perfect. You cannot increase your skill set if you do not work at it. Think of it as typing. I first started typing i was only reaching about twenty five words per minute, but then I started practicing and practicing and now on a good day I can reach fifty five words per minute and usually I type forty five to forty eight words per minutes. I would have never got there if I never practiced. Writing can improve your reading skills and your grammar. I still believe my grammar is pretty terrible because I still don't know how to use commas. It has helped me so much in the grammar department.

An author's voice is what brings a book to life. Keeping a journal can help with creating your voice. On all my essays I have written I usually get a comment saying "strong voice and great opinions". So I managed to develop a voice even though I am writing an essay. The voice is actually what helps teachers determine whether or not a student had plagiarized or if they paid another student to write their work. You create your own voice and you can write your opinions in a manner where your teachers and profs will understand what you are getting at.

Keeping your memory sharp is also why you should journal. If you are reading this and fall in the older age group. Journaling is a good way to help prevent memory loss issues such as Alzheimer's. It keeps your motor function and helps you become more creative, which gets your brain working.

Writing everyday reduces stress. It helps you express the way you feel and after you have written down your problems it feels like the whole weight of the world has shifted and it takes so much off your shoulders. It is scientifically proven that if you write a minimum of fifteen minutes a day it can reduce your stress levels and lower your blood pressure within four months, which is not that long of a time frame.

To conclude, there are many reasons why you should pick up the pen and start writing. It helps you increase your writing skills, it reduces stress, it can help prevent Alzheimer's and lastly it is good for the soul. So pick up a pen today and keep your thoughts in a journal.