If you’ve been having a bad week and are wondering whether journaling is worth it, I’ve come up with five reasons why it’s a good idea to invest in a gratitude journal:

1. It Will Improve Your Self-Esteem

There’s a saying that we are our own worst critics. Keeping a journal is a personal activity. When you jot down all your thoughts into your journal, you start realizing that all the things you’re afraid of are coming from yourself.

You’re afraid to tackle these fears head-on and you’re afraid of confronting what you’re scared. A journal will help you see the light at the end of the tunnel by showing you that your fears are exactly what they are—your fears.

Jot down what’s bothering you and think about ways you can tackle the problem. In the grand scheme of things, what’s the worst that can happen?

When you tackle your problems head-on, you’ll become more confident in yourself. You’ll realize that you are capable of doing great things.

2. You’ll Sleep Better

When you jot down all the things you love about yourself and those around you, you’ll also realize that you’re doing your best. You’re doing your best to keep your chin up high, and to achieve your goals. You’re putting in your best effort.

3. It Reduces Stress

There are some things on our minds that we can’t share with anyone. We can’t share them with our significant other, friends, or family. There are problems that we want to solve on our own; these problems take up most of our time.

Write down every lesson you’ve learned from your experiences. When you write down all that you’ve learned and all that you’re happy about, it’ll help you relieve stress. You’ll also give yourself the time to relax and think about your problems at a later time.

4. It’ll Change Your Perspective

Often times we think about all the negative things in our lives. We don’t think about the positive things going on in our lives. We also often judge others based on their appearances and behavior.

Keeping a gratitude journal will help you appreciate all the people in your life. You can write down 5 things you like the most about each person. It will change your perception of them completely.

5. You Will Appreciate Life

You will learn to appreciate life more and you’ll realize all the good things that have been happening in your life. You’ll realize that you are a strong person for surviving through everything you have and that life, no matter how tough it is, is worth living.

Ashley Yeo