Why We Keep a Journal

As some of you may have already read, the act of journaling was one of the main inspirations for Dear She. There is nothing I would recommend more then keeping a journal. I have been keeping one for a while now. There was just a moment in my life where I felt that keeping things locked in my head wasn’t cutting it anymore. For whatever reason…I found that I was hesitant to buy one and start writing in it. I think I was afraid to finally put the things in my head and the things that were going on at the time on paper. Because once they’re on paper, then their real…then you will remember them forever.
Much to my surprise, my mom bought me a journal for Christmas shortly there after. And on New Years day I wrote my first of many entries. That journal became my safe place. Those pages held everything I could say out loud, everything that weighed on my mind, and all the hard lessons I didn’t want to forget. Two years later, I had filled every page. And now I had essentially a book of my life that captured the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
In the new journals that followed that first one, I did find that very hard for me to write down the really difficult things. Writing in a journal does have the tendency to make to relive things you might rather not. My journal and I have spent some time apart from time to time. But I always find my way back to those safe, empty pages just waiting to be filled. I have never found anything that makes me feel so unburdened. Being able to fill a page with my troubles and then take a deep breath, close the pages and let it go (even if its just for a little bit) is a wonderful feeling. And better still, being able to fill a page with my happiness and go back and re-read it and feel that happiness again is a nostalgia like none other.
Dear She was a way for me to show others just what journaling can do. If your Dear She Love Letter was your first shot at writing to yourself, try it again. Write about anything you want, anything on your mind. Happy or sad, exciting or mundane…your journal doesn’t care. Its there to listen to you, just like Dear She is. And we aren’t the only ones that think journaling is awesome! Check out these benefits journaling and tips for getting started from The Huffington Post:

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10 Surprising Benefits You’ll Get From
Keeping a Journal:

1. Stretching Your IQ
2. Evoking Mindfulness
3. Achieving Goals
4. Emotional Intelligence
5. Boosting Memory and Comprehension
6. Strengthen Your Self-Discipline
7. Improve Communication Skills
8. Healing
9. Spark Your Creativity 

Read the full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/thai-nguyen/benefits-of-journaling-_b_6648884.html

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Tips for Getting Started:

1. Write Consistently
Think of journaling as a daily practice that you would incorporate into your routine as you would yoga or running. Aim to write in your journal each day for 20 minutes.
2. Consider Starting Each Day Journaling
A 2012 University of Toronto study published in the journal Emotion has shown that people are more optimistic in the morning. Writing first thing in the morning helps give you a fresh perspective and the chance to start the day off with a clear mind.
3. Never Self-Edit
Write freely, without worrying about spelling or grammar, and without the burden of worrying about what others might think about the words you choose. This journal is for you, and you alone.
4. Record it all: The Good the Bad and the Ugly
It is important to list the happiest moments of your life as well as the lowest moments of your life. This helps give you perspective of the complete picture.

Read the full article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-gail-gross/benefits-journaling_b_5588478.html

Happy Journaling All!

Love, Us