What is it about journaling that makes people swear by it? Everybody talks about it as highly as your aunty in your mom’s comments section under a photo she posts of you on Facebook. Okay, so you write down your thoughts and feelings, then what? Bibbity-bobbity-boo now I’ll feel like new? This author (sorry I’ve been watching Bridgerton a lot and I want to write like Lady Whistledown now) used to be one of those people who looked down on journaling and ridiculed the concept.

That was until I was having one of those nights where my heart felt heavy and my tears turned into streams. I found an empty notebook, grabbed a pen, and word-vomited on the pages. It might not have been the neatest entry, but it was a neat start. Yet, I started to dislike journaling again because my writing felt too “messy” and “ugly”. I think my concept of journaling used to come from American high school movies where every thought seemed well-constructed and well-articulated. I wrote in short sentences and abbreviations, with pages that were not at all aesthetically pleasing. One of the biggest hurdles for many beginners is the belief that journals need to be neat and well-written (guilty). But “ugly” journaling flips this on its head. It’s about letting go of perfectionism and letting your words spill out without concern for how they read. This raw, unfiltered style is where real growth happens. Messy, emotional entries are often the most powerful.

There are several advantages I have found to journaling. When you see all your thoughts jotted down, you are likely to have better clarity of what you are feeling as it is now somewhat visualised. Essentially, you are revising information that you produced yourself but could not process in the moment. Moreover, you might even find links between different feelings and discover a common trigger, meaning now you might know the root of your anxieties, overthinking, heavy-heartedness, or anything else. In fact, by writing down an issue you have caught yourself overthinking alongside offering yourself solutions and comfort tips. Whenever you go back into the same anxious state, you can open your entry about this challenge and remind yourself how to overcome it. By doing this small exercise of introspection, you can simplify difficult emotions and achieve mental clarity.

Furthermore, journaling serves as a powerful stress-relief tool. Some things are better left unsaid to other people, but that does not mean you should not say them to yourself. ‘A letter to myself’ is a common practice. “Dear Xandra, there is this guy, he is…” and you take it off from there. This makes it particularly effective in managing stress and anxiety before things get too out of hand. As thoughts and emotions are released onto the page, they are no longer left to fester internally, offering a healthier emotional outlet. Journaling has advantages for mental and emotional well-being as well as physical health. In my experience, journaling promotes resilience, emotional awareness and emotional regulation.

Journaling is more than just a productivity tool; it’s a transformative practice that can elevate your mental and emotional well-being. In a world filled with stress and overwhelm, journaling offers a personal space for reflection, clarity, and healing. But where do you start? How can you ensure it doesn’t feel like a chore?