Journal Writing

Journal writing may have seemed to go the way of the dinosaurs since the invention of free blogs and smart phones with notepads. But just because the format has changed doesn't mean the intention and the overall appeal of journal writing needs to die out. There are a number of reasons why writing in a journal can not only be appealing, but also productive for those who decide to take this practice back into their lives. Here are just a few reasons why you need to start writing again.

Journals Don't Crash

When you're typing on your computer and you suddenly have a meltdown, anything you didn't save is going to be lost to the computer gnomes. Even if it was the best writing ever, your creativity can be lost in a moment and gone before you can blink. Online blogs and websites can be easily erased, hacked, or simply changed without your knowledge. But when you're writing in a journal, you will have the chance to write out your thoughts, knowing they'll still be there in a few hours (assuming you don't dump your coffee all over the print again). You can also be assured that even if you do decide to write out your thoughts online that you always have a backup copy when you write in a journal first. A lot cheaper than backup software, honestly.

Journals Offer Lifelong Memories

Of course, if you think about it, the idea of your journals outlasting you after you die is a pretty scary thought. Someone is going to find those journals and read them - or sell them and make millions of dollars. You deepest, darkest secrets might be in those pages, so do you really want to leave them behind? Some people say yes. Some people want others to know all of the things they NEVER TOLD A SOUL. After all, when you're dead, why does it matter anyway? For those without a sordid past, journals will help you to have more connections with your loved ones, long after you are gone. An online blog just doesn't have the same appeal as your notes written in your hand.

Journal Writing is Soothing

And if you've ever vented to a journal before, you already know how soothing this can be. You can make your worries and your anxiety vanish in just moments, knowing that the words are on the paper and out of your mind. Some people have said that writing just a few pages in the morning or evening can even help to make you healthier - must be all that complaining about work that you do. It's not good to keep things bottled up, after all. Or you can simply write out a list every day of the things for which you are grateful. Reminding yourself that life doesn't suck becomes a valuable experience when you're not posting it online for everyone else to see your self-indulgence of how cool you are.

Journals aren't just for correcting the wobbly leg of a table. They're for collecting your thoughts and possibly even passing them on for generations to come.