Why I Journal: Exploring the Benefits of Journaling.

I've journaled on and off again all of my life, never with any sort of consistency or routine., Only until about a year ago did I start a steady cadence of journaling daily. It's now become compulsive, something I can't seem to stop and don't have any control over. Cathartic, therapeutic, and fun - I wish I would have started sooner.

1. It's Fun. Journaling isn't something I have to do, I do it because I want to. There's no deadline, nor right way to do it. It's not too serious and it can be a form of play. It's something I do just for me.

2. Record My Life. It's a great way to keep track of all the things I do, whether grand or mundane. I can easily flip back and recall what I did last Tuesday, or last year. What record of our lives is left of us when we die? Our social media accounts, locked iPhones, iPhones, and obsolete hard drives? I'd prefer something more. Something that actually exists in the real world and can be touched and felt.

3. Quiet Mind. All of the noise and chatter in my head needs somewhere to go, it can live there rent free. I need to get those out, and journaling lets those thoughts flow freely onto the page. Often times they die there, leaving me with a quieter mind.

4. Brainstorm Ideas. My journal is a great place for me to make some bad ideas, and bad ideas birth good ideas. It also serves as a home for lists, diagrams, and notes on things I learn or want to remember later.

5. Capture Thoughts. When I truly let my thoughts flow onto the page, it can be amazing what comes out. Don't let those little thoughts or ideas slip away, capture them instead.

6. Slow Down. You can't really journal quickly, the materials don't allow for it. When everything else in the world is concerned with speed and efficiency, a journal allows me to slow down, be still, and be alone with my thoughts.

7. Create Daily. From Tim Tok to Netflix to podcasts, so much of our daily lives is spent consuming things that others have made. Journaling allows for me to make at least one thing every day.

8. Helps Me Be More Creative. There are no rules, no one telling me what I can or can't do. Pick up some stickers, and throw them in them in there. Read a magazine, cut it up, and grab my Elmer's Glue Stick. Polaroids, receipts, sticky notes - they all have a home now. It's mine and I decide how to use it.

9. Screen Free. As a small act of rebellion against our "app for everything" world, it gives me a small bit of self autonomy and self reliance. IT also gives my brain and eyes a break from the glowing rectangle that I stare at all day for money.

10. Paper and Pens. I've discovered that exploring different pens, pencils, and paper can be a fun hobby. It's can be expensive and it's definitely nerdy, but it's also a nice way to appreciate simple things in life.