I’ve kept a journal since I was seven years old. Back then, my journal was filled with jokes I thought were funny, memories from sleepovers or retellings of the events of a family vacation.

As I have gotten older, however, I have come to realize the deep significance of journaling. In reality, keeping a consistent journal is much more than a simple record of what happens in your life. Journaling is a practice which helps you become more connected to yourself.

And anyone can benefit from journaling! You don’t have to be an extreme introvert or an overly reflective person to enjoy keeping a journal.

The following are five ways in which I think journaling helps me to take better care of myself, and I hope these thoughts can be useful to you too!

Journaling creates a private space.

Your journal is for your eyes and your eyes only. It’s not something you have to post on Facebook or share on Instagram. There’s something empowering about having a space where you can write whatever you want without fear of someone seeing it.

Journaling creates a processing space.

One of the benefits of journaling is self-discovery. When you journal, you have the opportunity to process events and feelings that you have recently experienced. If you didn’t get an interview for the job you really wanted, write about how that makes you feel. If your day just really sucked, write about why it sucked. If your thoughts are consumed by fear, write about where those thoughts come from. When you take time to process your own thoughts, emotions and experiences, you begin to discover more of who you are.

Journaling creates a timeless space.

If you’re like me, you enjoy finding ways to look back on your life. Regular journal writing will provide you with a history of your personal journey. Then, when you want to look back on your life and see how you’ve grown, you have record of your personal history right in front of you. Your journal then becomes a place for your story.

Journaling creates a centering space.

Keeping a journal allows you to articulate who you are and who you strive to be. The act of journaling is a centering discipline, pulling you toward the center of your being. As you deconstruct your thoughts and experiences, you chip away at the outer layers of your heart. Ultimately, consistent journaling will reveal the core of who you are.

Journaling creates a genuine space.

Typically, when I journal, I don’t think about how I express myself. I just do it. What follows is an account of my real, unedited emotions. You can be brutally honest with yourself without any repercussions. There is something quite refreshing about having the space to be completely real and vulnerable with yourself.

So, if you’re in any way convicted to start journaling, buy a journal, pick up a pen, find a quiet space and start writing. You might be surprised to see the ways in which journaling opens your heart and frees your spirit.