Benefits of journaling and mood tracking

There are a lot of benefits to checking in with yourself every day or week and recording your observations and thoughts in a journal.

So, why journal?

Clarity. Have you ever shared your experience with someone who remembers something completely different than you? Sometimes, our memories get distorted based on what we’re feeling when things happen to us. You might remember someone as being furious, only to look back and realize they were feeling overwhelmed at the end of a long day. Writing down the events of what happened, and your mood at the time, can cause you to pause, consider the events that took place objectively, and arrive at different conclusions. Journaling can give you the space to reflect which might help you interpret events differently and feel better about what’s taken place.

Goal tracking. If you’ve got a goal you want to achieve, checking in at regular intervals is important for your progress. Your goal might be one where progress looks similar on each entry (such as, I want to walk for ten minutes every day). Or, goalposts might look different each week—if you want to get a new job, one week’s goal might be working on a resume, and another might be attending networking events. Marking these milestones can be a great way to stay motivated and keep yourself on track.

Look for patterns. Do you find you’re getting into the same scenarios at work or home? For example: I’m stretched to the limit with work, and I’ve volunteered to organize the holiday party. Why did I do that again?  Journaling and tracking your mood can help you reflect on patterns that are happening, consciously or unconsciously, in your life. Recognizing these patterns is the first step to changing what isn’t working for you.

Reduce stress. Sometimes the thoughts we think when we’re feeling worried or down are false—such as no one likes me or something terrible is about to happen. Journaling about these worries will help you get clear on what’s anxiety-induced thinking, as opposed to the reality of the situation. Sort the facts from the fiction; for example, if you’re worried, I’m about to get fired, try journaling about all the value you add to the company, and why that’s not going to happen—or all the ways you can improve your skills so that you can get better at your role.

Prioritize what’s important. Your emotions, values, and goals become very clear when you are checking in with yourself daily. You might think, exercise is very important to me, but if you’re recording that you haven’t done any physical activity in over a week, you can look at your journal and see—what else is taking priority over this goal?

Improve emotional intelligence. Expressing your feelings feels good in the moment, but writing about your emotions can have the added benefit of exploring why those reactions happen. If you’re writing while you’re angry, it can be useful to reflect on the angry reaction when you’re no longer in that headspace. Reviewing journal entries can give you insight as to how and why the feelings happen—what are the circumstances that lead to serious reactions, such as being tired, or hungry? What are ways to avoid negative reactions, or create more circumstances where positive emotions happen? Writing and reflecting makes the process of seeing patterns in experiences easier, which can improve personal insight.

Find more to be grateful for. Writing about things that add meaning to daily life makes it easier to notice just how much they improve your mood and overall wellbeing. Reflecting on what you enjoy most about life reminds you to be available for those things. It can also promote feelings of gratitude and contentment with what you have now. You can start simply by writing down things that you are grateful for. If that seems challenging, then pick a letter of the alphabet and write out people, places, or things that start with that letter that you are grateful for.