Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Mostly Muslim

Home
About
Faith & Spirituality
Personal/Life
- Reflections
Society & Culture
- Dealing with Others
- Women
Archive

Home
Muslim
5 Reasons Why You Should Start Journaling Today

5 Reasons Why You Should Start Journaling Today

Last updated on: December 26, 2019 at 9:31 am by Iman

5 Reasons Why You Should Start Journaling Today 2019-12-26T09:31:03-06:00 Iman

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

5 reasons start journaling today

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Journaling is one of those endeavors which many people start, but don’t keep up. When looking through old journals, you might find a common pattern between them: the second half is empty. If your old journals look like this, or even if you have never attempted to keep a diary or journal before, don’t let this discourage you. Don’t wait! Here are 5 reasons why you should start journaling today:

It Helps You Unwind

The ups and downs of life, as well as the stress of daily responsibilities, can start to weigh down on the mind. Journaling at the end of a long day can help you relax and sort your thoughts out. If you prefer to write in the morning, journaling can help start your day off on a positive note and be more productive.

It Makes You More Grateful

What about if your day was easy, even blissful? What if you don’t feel the need to unwind or de-stress? These are the days when you are less likely to write in your journal, but they shouldn’t be! Writing on the days when things are going well can be a great way of realizing the blessings you might otherwise take for granted.

If your day wasn’t so great, you can start by writing a few things you are grateful to Allah (swt) for. This will help remind you that there is always some good in our situation. That even in this hardship, there is ease. I find that even on the days that feel miserable, if I force myself to think about a few things that I’m grateful for, it lightens the load a little.

It Can Be Good for Your Mental Health

Journaling can help to cope with anxiety and depression, reduce stress, and improve your overall mood. Sometimes, simply putting your thoughts on paper can help relieve some of the burden of your mind. If you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed by it, though, be sure to discuss this with your therapist.

It Keeps a Record of Your Life

Have you ever looked back on some part of your life, in your mind’s eye, and wished you could remember it more clearly? Or just wondered how much you have changed since a certain point in time? Journaling allows us to do all of this. If you journal consistently, you will be able to look back at any part of your life and read about it in your own words.

It’s a Good Tool for Introspection and Reflection

These concepts are stressed in our faith tradition and throughout the Qur’an. As Muslims, we are constantly supposed to look into ourselves and evaluate our intentions, spiritual health, and relationship with Allah.

Journaling can help us think about what mistakes we made that day, which will hopefully lead to repentance and positive change. It also helps you acknowledge your growth and strengths, which is important as well.

“If you should (try to) count the favors of Allah (upon you), you could not enumerate them.” (Qur’an 14:34)

Start journaling today and you’ll see positive changes in yourself and your life, inshaAllah (God-willing).

Follow Mostly Muslim on Facebook HERE.

Want your voice to be heard? JOIN OUR TEAM or send your guest submission to [email protected]! Visit the “Contribute to MM” page for more details.

Previous Post

January 1, 2018

How to Accomplish the Ultimate New Year's Resolution

Next Post

January 8, 2018 Marriage Is Not a Cure-All for Life's Problems

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Afterlife Culture Dealing with Others English Faith & Spirituality Inspiration Letters to the Ummah Personal / Life Poetry Ramadan Reality Check Reflections Relationships Religion Society & Culture Uncategorized Urdu Women

Select a Month September 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 January 2020 December 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 March 2016 November 2015 October 2015 June 2015 May 2015 February 2015 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did Nehemiah do upon reading that Moabites and Ammonites were forbidden in God's assembly?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Closed the gates Started a fast Expelled them Rebuilt the altar