I have mentioned it before and I know I will mention it again as one of my number one self-care tools. For today’s post, I am going to get into what journaling is. The positives and negatives of journaling and how to get started today. Journaling has been around for a long time and everyone is talking about it, but do we really understand what it is we are meant to be doing when it comes to journaling?
Journaling is a therapy all by itself; it is the purposeful and intentional use of reflective writing to further mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health and wellness. It can support and help people by providing focus and clarity to issues, conflicts, confusions, and other things that are going on in their life. In simple terms, it is the act of writing down thoughts and feelings to sort through problems and come to deeper understandings of oneself or the issues in one’s life, it is also a useful way to develop greater self-awareness of oneself. Unlike traditional diary writing, where you enter daily events and occurrences from a peripheral point of view, journaling focuses on the writer’s internal experiences, reactions, and perceptions. Through this act of literally reading his or her own mind, the writer is able to perceive experiences more clearly and from a different perspective. Journaling is shown to have many mental and physical health benefits, and more therapists are introducing it into their work for themselves and their clients.
The therapeutic idea of reflective writing came around in the 1960s, by Dr. Ira Progoff, a psychologist in New York City, who started offering workshops and classes in the use of what he called the Intensive Journal method. It was from here that it developed into what it is today. However, I believe we have only in the last 15 years or so really understood the extent of the benefits and why we should be doing it more.
While journaling has many positives, there can be also some negative aspects of journaling which can include;
- It can have you living in your head too much
- You can focus too much on what you are saying rather than what you are getting from your thoughts
- You can end up wallowing in the negative things that have happened to you.
- Sometimes it can be too confronting
- It is working on yourself in isolation which can bring up things you are not able to deal with by yourself
- It can be time-consuming
By sure the positives out way the negatives, these can include;
- Journaling can help you learn more about yourself
- It can help you process things that have happened
- It gives you time and space to be yourself for yourself
- It can help you stay focused on your goals and achievements
- It can help work on your emotions and values
- It is great for mental well-being and clarity
- Helps with an understanding of you and what has happened
- Supports personal growth
- Enables problem-solving and better writing skills
- You can weigh the pros and cons without hearing anyone else give their opinion
- Helps you stay accountable
- It’s a safe place
- It reduces stress
- A place to work through your struggles and detangle your thoughts
- A safe place to face fears
- It is non-judgemental
I know I have given a lot more positives than negatives, as I do feel there is more to gain from journaling than not, it is just about making sure you are doing it right. Now that you know more about it, I am going to talk you through some useful ways to do it right.
- Decide on what means to use, be it digital or written, whatever fits you best
- Pick the time of the day that works best for you and your thoughts; in the evening before bed is my best time and it helps me sleep better. However, if you are an over-thinker this might cause you to think about what you had written about all night
- Be honest with yourself – it is only for you to read and process, so there is no judgment
- Do it in the right environment. I have found my best place to journal is my car (obviously while parked somewhere). My car is also my best reflective thinking space, which may explain why. So, find the space or create a space that works for you.
- Give it time. Do not rush while you’re journaling and do not expect to see immediate results.
- Make sure to date each entry
- Enjoy a cup of tea/hot chocolate while you write
- Let whatever comes outflow, whatever you are thinking of, even if off-topic you are thinking it for a reason
- If just writing is too difficult use some starter questions like
- What brings you joy?
- What does your dream life look like?
- Who are you grateful for? Why?
- What is one thing that you’d like to be different by this time next year?
- What has changed you?
- List five traits that you love about yourself.
- How are you currently sabotaging your goals?
- What are you grateful for today?
- What makes you ‘you’?
- Do you need a break? From what?
- Are you able to tell when you have had enough?
- What do you like to talk about?
- What do you find hard to talk about?
- Are you the original or the remix?
- What motivated you today?
- Are you a leader or a follower?
- Keep it simple
- Make it a daily or weekly habit
- Just get started!
We have a tendency to procrastinate when we think things will not go a certain way. We may do it wrong or what if you find out something about yourself? That is the beauty of journaling, you will find stuff out about yourself and it will help you grow and develop. It won’t limit you in the ways you think it might. It may also be hard, but I promise it will be worth it in the end.
Happy Journaling!!
