Have you ever had thoughts or situations that make you feel heavy?
Have you’ve felt a strong sense of overwhelm?
Do you feel like your emotions have been bottled up?
Many of us have gone or will go through treacherous parts in our lives that make it difficult to want to continue. When those times come, journaling is a wonderful tool for you to use.
Journaling has a plethora of benefits that can help you in times of nervousness, melancholy or just every day to day life.
Writing As Stress Relief
There are significant health benefits to journaling such as:
Help reduce stress
Stress can cause you to become irritable, anxious and depressed. Therefore, when you journal you are able to write down your thoughts and emotions help release tensions of stress that has been built up inside.
Help with coping
A study at the University of Texas, Austin by Dr. James W. Pennebaker on journaling reveals that “Translating these experiences into language, however, gives us a physical piece to contemplate, perhaps allowing us to better “grasp” what’s going on.”
Being more mindful
When you spill your thoughts out, it can show you more clarity to what your feelings are. While journaling, you bring your mind to the present state which helps you connect with inner feelings; you can look at thoughts that often surface to see how you can benefit from moving forward.
As you put the power of the pen to paper, you will begin to fuel your mind with more ease.
An Outlet For Your Emotions
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell people what is going through in your life. Fears of judgment, resentment, misunderstanding, etc. can cause you from talking to a friend, family member or therapist about your situation. I have found that journaling has been the perfect outlet for me to be my complete, transparent, real self- it can help you too.
Whenever I write down what I am struggling with, I know for a fact that no one will be reading the excerpt which then allows me to be brutally truthful.
Your journal is the friend you need that absorbs your secrets like a sponge; it will allow you to feel free, expressive and powerful as you tell your story.
The pen and paper are a dynamic duo that can help you become more focused on being open.
Consistency Is Key
When I first started to journal, I would only write whenever something catastrophic occurred in my life. As life continues to become increasingly more difficult with age, I wrote more and more.
Eventually, I was writing every night before bed even if things were going well that day. Staying consistent with your writing can help you receive the overall benefits of writing at a higher level. It becomes more meditative every time you pick up a pen.
Here are some tips to make journaling a routine:
Keep your journal on your bedside table
It’s there when you wake up and it’s there when you go to sleep.
Journal in the morning as you start your day
You can write down that day’s goals.
Journal before bedtime
Use this as guidance for less technology and more self-awareness. Put a recap on how your day went whether it was good or bad, it deserves to be told.
Purchase a small journal
You can carry with you at all times, no matter where in the day. This can help you easily release any stressful thoughts you’ve had and help you continue on with your day. This can also be useful for when you travel.
It’s important to remember that journaling isn’t only about documenting the negative aspects of your life, but also to highlight the positive parts. When you are only writing about the harmful situations and disregarding the phenomenal ones, you solely focus on the difficulties of life. Everything is about balance and your journal entries should be too.
Journaling is what people call therapeutic writing. It helps your health mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. If you’re struggling with any mental illnesses, this can be your escape from reality and into a world of words. Confiding in writing is one of the best ways we can express ourselves in art. These simple ingredients of a pen, paper, and truth can be substantial to our essential living.
For more articles on journaling:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/benefits-of-journaling_n_6648884
