6 Reasons To Journal Before Bedtime

Journaling Gives You A Place To Express Yourself

We all have a lot of thoughts running through our head throughout the day, as we rush from one task to another, juggling several things. As a result, we often don’t find the time to pause and examine and express our thoughts, worries or observations. But taking 10-15 minutes before you sleep to offload things that are on your mind can give you that opportunity. Jotting down what’s on your mind can also help with the process of falling asleep quicker. When the thoughts in our heads haven’t had a chance to be expressed, we tend to ruminate or worry and this can get in the way of us falling asleep and having a peaceful, undisturbed night.

Journaling Eases Anxiety

If you’ve been finding yourself particularly anxious of late, or are generally prone to anxiety, try journaling. It helps ease anxiety by getting the worrying thoughts out of your head and on to paper, instead of suppressing them. Over a period of time, it can also help you learn what triggers your anxiety, as you refer back to everything you have observed over the days. Observation becomes much easier when you’re consciously keeping a record of it.

Journaling Helps You Plan Ahead

Some people journal to record everything they’ve done for the day and to make a note of what they intend to achieve the following day, week or month. This is particularly useful during stressful and busy times. No matter how much stress you are under, you rest better when you have a strategy in place to attack the tasks that lie ahead. You also feel better and ready to hit the ground running, when you wake up the next day!

Journaling Sparks Creativity

Had a brilliant new idea sometime during the day? Jot it down before you forget the thought, and at night, journal about it as part of your bedtime routine. Exploring a new idea before bedtime, for one thing, helps you make sure you don’t lose the train of thought you had a few hours earlier, and that you pen down all enthusiastic related thoughts. For another, it has been found that mulling over a new idea just before you fall asleep helps your subconscious get activated in a positive way, to help you build on that idea.

Journaling Helps You Become More Grateful

Heard of a gratitude journal? “A gratitude journal is, quite simply, a tool to keep track of the good things in life. No matter how difficult and defeating life can sometimes feel, there is always something to feel grateful for.” *
While there are no fixed rules, in general, people write down three things they are grateful for at the end of every day. It can range from the little joys of life (‘Today I am grateful that I have a caring and considerate sibling’) to life achievements, big and small (‘Today I am grateful that I achieved that difficult yoga pose I’ve been trying for two months’). Do however, make sure you write down why you’re grateful for these things. By pausing and taking the time to be grateful, you bring a more positive perspective to things that are happening in your life, even in troubled times. It can also help you understand yourself better - realising what makes you happy can help you bring focus to the things that truly matter to you.

Journaling Can Be Your New ‘happy Space’

Why not create a Happy Space with your new found #MeTime? Turn your journal into a scrapbook, where you list not just thoughts, but also uplifting quotes, pictures of your next holiday destination (or other happy event you’re looking forward to), or even something nice someone said about you. Your journal can become a place you can go to whenever you need a mood boost.