With the craziness of the holiday season quickly approaching, we want to encourage moms to take a few minutes every day this week to pause, breath, and journal. So we're hosting a Writing Challenge + Wellness Giveaway, running all week from November 7–12.
We live in such a digital, plugged-in, fast-paced world, it's important to unplug and slow down every now and then. Put away your cell phone, close your computer, and pick up a pen and your journal. Find time this week to sit down, be present, and write. Whether you have five minutes or a full hour, you'll reap the benefits of journaling. Turns out the more you write, the happier you'll be!
How to Enter our Writing Challenge + Wellness Giveaway:
1) Post a photo or video of you writing in your Promptly Journal on Instagram or IG stories and tag @promptlyjournals from November 7–12.
2) Every post counts as one entry, so every day is a new chance to enter! The more days you journal and post, the more times you'll be entered to win our giveaway!
3) One lucky winner will score a relaxing, self-care package valued at $450 for some major TLC, including:
- $30 shop credit to Maskcara Party with Tauri
- $50 shop credit to MinErbs
- $100 shop credit to Promptly Journals
- $50 shop credit to Tubby Todd
- $75 shop credit to Salis Skincare
- 60 minute at-home massage from Zeel
Need more incentive to pick up your pen and write in your journal this week? Below, get the scoop on the many health benefits associated with journaling.
6 Health Benefits of Journaling
1. Journaling Helps You Live In the Moment
When you take the time to sit down and focus on writing in your journal, you're working toward being more present and mindful. And mindfulness = happiness. According to an article published on The Huffington Post, "Journaling brings you into that state of mindfulness; past frustrations and future anxieties lose their edge in the present moment. It calls a wandering mind to attention, from passivity to actively engaging with your thoughts."
2. Journaling Boosts Happiness
When you journal about beloved and cherished memories, you relive those moments all over again. The act of jotting down your favorite memories sends a rush of endorphins to your head and your heart, and results in an immediate boost in your mood and a more positive overall outlook on life.
3. Journaling Reduces Stress & Anxiety
Studies have shown that the emotional release from journaling lowers anxiety, stress, and induces better sleep, according to The Huffington Post. Writing down thoughts and memories, whether happy or sad, is a way to release them from your brain, and the act of sitting down to write is a way to slow your breathing and heartbeat.
4. Journaling Helps Manage Depression
If you struggle with depression, whether postpartum or otherwise, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center keeping a journal can help you gain control of your emotions and improve your mental health. Writing down your thoughts and feelings helps you better recognize, manage, and work through them.
5. Journaling Offers a Digital Detox
Let's face it, we live our lives on our digital devices. But excessive cell phone usage can result in diminished attention spans, headaches, muscle fatigue, and sleeplessness. By contrast, the physical and behavioral affects of journaling include decreased stress levels, reduced blood pressure, and improved mood and memory. Which is why it's so important to take a self-imposed timeout from screen time and give your brain a break from information overload. Rather than constantly checking your email or scrolling mindlessly through your social media feeds, turn your phone or computer off and spend time journaling instead. Trade in consumption and comparison for creativity and contentment.
6. Journaling Improves Your Communication Skills
Every time you sit down to journal, you're engaging in the act of communicating your thoughts and feelings. And doing so can help you better communicate in your everyday life, including in conversations with your child and spouse. After all, “Writing has critical connections to speaking” according to a Stanford report.
Photos: Becky Kimball
