" Journaling grants us unfiltered access to the rough gems of our own minds, ordinarily dismissed by the self-censorship of formal writing. " Virginia Woolf Keeping a journal has many positive benefits and can help personal growth and development and actively promote our mental wellness. By regularly recording our thoughts we can gain insight into our behaviours and mood. Many people treat journaling as something they " know they should do" but rarely ever take up or keep up the practice but what are the real benefits of writing down the " rough gems of our own minds " that Woolf refers to