journaling
when you were younger, did you ever have one of those furry diaries, with the lock and all, hidden under your bed? it was your safe place to confess all your middle school crushes, your dream plans, and any friendship drama you had without judgment or punishment. it likely felt good as a kid to get all of those thoughts and feelings out of your head and down on paper…especially when your trusty 13-year-old best friend wasn’t acting like the therapist you needed them to be :) #guilty
so why is it…that we found a technique that worked wonders when we were younger, and we completely abandon it when we grow up?
the concept and benefits of journaling still apply as a grown up. it’s simply writing down your thoughts and feelings to understand them more clearly. and it really does help! if you’re not journaling yet, maybe this post will convince you to pick up a pen or open your laptop and start writing. trust me…it’s life changing.
i’m an avid overthinker. anything i say, do, think, needs to be re-said, re-done, and re-thought in my head. it started to become extremely stressful (and unhealthy) with all this re-doing, to the point where i would just avoid social settings in general to not feel this clouding in my mind. i started to isolate myself from others more and more and even disconnected from my inner self. i was SUPER lost. so, i began a notes sheet where i would just rant about my day. i labeled it “how my november is going.” little did i know that this document would be used for way more than just november of 2021…because here we are in august of 2023, still adding! whether it was something good, something bad, something confusing…i just wrote it down! saying that this was extremely beneficial would be an understatement. it not only helped with self-awareness, mindfulness, and relieving major stress, i learned so much about myself and the way i think/act. because it’s a reflective exercise, you really do feel like you’re working on yourself and becoming more and more like the person you’ve always wanted to become. at least for me, that’s been the case. so if there’s anything you take from this post, i hope it’s the confidence and motivation to at least begin journaling. who knows what the outcome of this beginning may be :)
here are some journaling benefits that i hope will help convince you to start this beautiful self-practice!
provides mental clarity: writing about your feelings in a journal empties the baggage in your brain so you can look at a situation with fresh eyes
builds self-awareness: journaling can provide deep insight into part of your personality that you may not have thought about before. journal prompts are also super helpful. i’ll write some below to inspire some of you to write. you might even discover that one small insight can connect to circumstances or challenges you thought were unrelated
relieves stress: the practice provides stress relief as writing things down can help you process and find solutions to problems
improves problem-solving abilities: sometimes all it takes is a different perspective to solve a problem you’ve struggled with for a long time. documenting the problem and its contributing factors helps you process it. have a problem you can’t seem to solve? write about it!
helps you achieve goals: thinking about what you want to achieve is the first step, but thoughts are easily forgotten. writing down a goal makes it more concrete and provides some accountability. it can be anything from “i want to do well on this test” to “i want to feel happier/less stressed.” having these items written down allows you to look back and see how far you’ve come since first setting the goal. it’s all about reflecting :)
here are some prompts that may help kickstart your journaling journey:
What emotions am I holding on to? Why am I feeling this way?
Write down an entire list of what you are worried about. Star the items that you know are 100% true and not solely a feeling
Journal a list of five things you did today that brought you joy and write down why/ Journal a list of five things that upset you today and write down why.
Make a list of all the lies you tell yourself. Now go down the list, cross out the lie and write the truth.
What is one reality you need to come to peace with? Why?
finally, i want to talk about another form of this practice: gratitude journaling. this involves a focus on the positive aspects of life through capturing situations, events, and interactions for which we are grateful for! so much research has shown that expressing gratitude reduces stress, increases optimism, and encourages healthy and positive thinking.
in my opinion: 20 minutes of reflective writing and 10 minute of gratitude writing is the perfect combination. i have felt so much more connected and at peace with myself and with the world after i began implementing these 30 minutes into my daily routine. after reading this, i hope you will give journaling at least a chance. below, i’ll recommend some sites (if you’re more of a typer) and some guided journals (if you’re more of a writer) to get you started.
APPS/WEBSITES
JOURNALS
happy journaling!
eliza
