Journaling
Journaling is the practice of putting your thoughts on paper, whatever they may be.
“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say”
The Absolute Simplest Way to Begin with Journaling:
Get out a piece of paper
(Or a computer)
Grab a Pen/Pencil
(Or put your hands on the keyboard)
Write absolutely anything that pops into your head.
(Or type absolutely anything that pops into your head)
Tip: Don’t over think it. You can literally start your first journal entry with something like “I’m writing in my journal write now, because they say journaling is good for you… But I’m not really sure what to say… This feels weird… I guess I could talk about…. “ And then just keep going. The more you write/type, the more words will come to you.
“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on”
I Practice Journaling Daily Because:
It helps me sort through the chaos in my mind.
I have journaled on and off for… forever. I love journaling, it helps me find the sanity in all the chaos inside my mind. I usually journal on a computer, because I think fast, and I type fast. However, sometimes it is a bit more cathartic to put a pen to paper.
I journal everything and everything and in a bunch of different ways.
Sometimes, most of the time, I just write about whatever is on my mind. Work problems into solutions. Pep myself up. Convince myself things will work out.
A lot of times my journal spins into affirmations, and sometimes it just laments woes.
Sometimes I answer questions that are asked in various books I’ve read or on podcasts I’ve listened too.
Sometimes I future journal (Which is this super fun thing where you write a journal entry as if it is some specific day in the future).
Sometimes I journal about the past.
Sometimes I get serious brain fog and I only write a sentence or two.
Other times I spit out several pages at a time.
I always feel better and clearer afterwards.
“Journaling is the perfect way to shift your emotions immediately and process your feelings without judgement, so you don’t get stuck in unpleasant experiences.”
Journaling Can Improve Your Life in Many Ways:
1. Journaling can clear your mind of unwanted thoughts.
If you take all of the thoughts racing around in your head and put them down on paper. It’s much easier to analyze and sort them. Once their less twisted up, they’ll stop haunting you so much.
2. Journaling can help you settle your emotions.
Ignoring emotions, never makes them go away. If you don’t have a person, you feel safe talking to about them. You can talk to yourself, or your god through a journal. You can write how you feel, why you feel that way, work out what if anything you should do about it. When you let the feelings out, they slowly start to fade.
3. Journaling can help you problem solve and plan.
This is probably my favorite part of journaling. When I’m stuck on something. I write it down. Then I write down possible scenarios and outcomes of working through it. Then it’s easier for me to see which one is most likely to have the best outcome.
Improve the Character Skills: Confident, Peaceful
Different Things for Different People: People who are not analytical. Journaling is about feeling, and thinking, and sorting, and working through things. If you’re more of a doer than a thinker, journaling may be difficult for you. Although it could potentially help you become more of a thinker if that were a goal of yours.
“A personal journal is an ideal environment in which to become. It is a perfect place for you to think, feel, discover, expand, remember, and dream.”
Practicing Journaling Can Help You Overcome:
Convoluted Thinking:
When you keep thinking in circles and can’t find your way out of the maze.
Thought Fallacies:
When you have repeated thoughts that are illogical, and you know their illogical, but you need to talk yourself through and remind yourself why. Example: Thought: This is too hard. Journal: This feels really freaking hard, but I’ve done hard things before and I can do this.. I just have to learn as I go, and keep going and ask for help if I need it. I know I can do this. I’m going to do this. One step at a time. Until it’s done.
“The keeping of a journal is a way to focus on what is important, to set goals, to celebrate achievements, and to reflect on lessons learned.”
