Benjamin Franklin used to begin each day by asking himself “What can I do well today?”. He then wrote those things down in a diary. Come the end of that day, he would then review each of his goals, making a note of how he could improve on the things he didn’t do so well.
It seems that he was ahead of his time, with scientific research since confirming what he knew; that writing a diary had many psychological benefits. Here are a just a few of them:
MANAGES YOUR NERVES
Keeping a diary has the ability to reduce our anxieties and settle our nerves. To keep a diary whether it be just to plan your day or record your thoughts and emotions they enable you to develop a sense of control and therefore reduce your anxiety.
REDUCES PROCRASTINATION
Diaries have the ability to improve an individual’s time management. There is a well-known thinking bias called planning fallacy, which states that we underestimate the time it will take to complete a future task. By using a diary, we can evaluate our past experiences in order to better plan for tasks ahead.
IMPROVES MEMORY
Diaries have been shown to improve our working memory by allowing us to retain information for greater periods of time. The American Psychology Association state that although effects were modest, expressive writing frees up space in the working memory by removing intrusive and avoidant thoughts.
IMPROVES WELL-BEING
Evidence has indicated that keeping a diary can make you happier. Whilst it seems like a trivial task, diary keeping has shown to reduce depressive thoughts and behaviours by providing the writer with increased control. This useful intervention has also been seen to have long-lasting effects on mental health. It’s not just a quick fix.
Diary keeping helps people in all walks of life and it’s a really easy way to improve your well-being. Just as Benjamin Franklin did, by writing down your targets, reflecting on how well they went or consciously trying to improve them for the next day, you give yourself the best chance of success.
We offer a large diary range for you to suit all tastes and budgets.
For further information, a quote or samples please contact us and we will be happy to assist you.