I have kept journals for most of my adult life. Not always consistently, not always beautifully, sometimes just a few lines in a rush — but always honestly.
There are so many reasons to keep a journal, and I’ll tell you the ones that matter most to me.
Firstly, it reduces stress. Writing down your thoughts and feelings is a genuinely cathartic experience. It gives the thoughts somewhere to go rather than circling endlessly inside your head. Studies show that journalling reduces cortisol — the stress hormone. I don’t need a study to tell me that. I know it from experience.
Secondly, it improves your self-awareness. When you write about your life — the events, the feelings, the reactions, the hopes, the fears — you begin to see yourself clearly. Not the version you present to the world, not the one you think you should be, but the real one. That clarity is precious.
Thirdly, it tracks your growth. Looking back through old journals is one of the most interesting and sometimes moving things you can do. You see how far you’ve come. You notice the patterns. You find evidence of your own resilience.
The handwriting is part of it too — not the content alone, but the physical act. Pen on paper engages your brain in a way that typing simply does not. The neuroscience is clear on this. Your wellbeing is genuinely, measurably supported by a regular journalling practice.
There is no right or wrong way. Don’t worry about spelling. Don’t perform for a future reader. Just be honest with yourself. That is the whole point. And it will, in time, change everything.