A Magic Pen

There are an infinite number of reasons for keeping a journal. The act of writing makes you more aware and helps you pay attention to details you would otherwise miss. Paper and pen provide you with a vehicle to bring actions and feelings into the open.

• Writing increases understanding and insight, reduces stress and enhances a healthy lifestyle.
• Writing is deliberate, and rewriting journal entries to create a coherent story or gain insight produces health benefits.
• Writing is therapeutic when it allows you to experience your emotions.
• Writing can be as permanent as desired. When study participants expanded their stories to include positive emotion words, it predicted better health in the upcoming months.
• Because writing is more complex than talking, people retain more.
• Writing promotes self-awareness, free from outside influences. It allows you to reconcile events in ways you can be comfortable with.