Journal Writing
In times of stress, despair, confusion, complacency, or even depression it is beneficial to find something that is cathartic. In times of joy, excitement, or peace we try to find ways to remember or keep those moments alive. At the very lease we look for a way to replicate those moments.
Writing in a journal can do both!
Tonight, I found myself unable to sleep because of swirling thoughts an emotions. A mix of positive and negative flooded my mind and for the second night in a row my eyes were nearly too tired to open but my mind was wide awake. I pulled myself out of bed and forced my eyes open, put on some Broadway music to keep me awake and interested, and pulled out my journal.
I have never been super consistent at writing in my journal but there was a time when I was able to talk about my day or even my week in beautiful detail while mixing in my mentality. Tonight, I reviewed the four most recent entries:
July 2017. May 2018 (x2). December 2018.
Prior to tonight, I had four short entries that were supposed to detail two years of living. Two years of my life have essentially gone unrecorded. For some that is normal and okay. Great! For me, I enjoy writing and with it being so cathartic and reminiscent, I think I could have served myself better had I written in it more. That being said, I spent an hour writing out three not-super-detailed pages that attempted to cover the main points from the past six months. Although I didn't get everything in there that could have been there, the time spent writing and remembering had an incredibly positive impact on my brain and emotions. I was able to organize my thoughts and get some of them out. Those things that I keep inside because they are too complex to discuss with most people, are no longer on the inside but I can release those thoughts and revisit them from a different perspective tomorrow.
I took a bit of time after writing to google the "benefits of writing in a journal" and it seems to be a consensus that it is a beneficial practice. Keep in mind that these are not peer review psychological papers but it can be deduced that because of common themes throughout the different articles that studies have been completed and then permeated through the mainstream.
The most poignant benefits of writing in a journal to me are (1) intelligence, (2) mindfulness, and (3) stress relief. American author Flannery O'Connor has been quoted saying "I write because I don't know what I think until I read what I say." Bringing clarity to our minds opens us up to see the present for what is truly going on. It helps us identify our emotions and can even help us recognize healthy ways of addressing our emotions. It is a way for us to map out (even subconsciously) a blueprint for our goals. By re-reading past posts and goals that we wrote down we can see what actions we took and what actions need changed. And as far as intelligence, the more you write, the more you get practice at vocabulary and sentence structure and how to piece together a story. Also, introspective writing makes us brainstorm possible solutions and discover courses of action, all from evaluating what has already happened.
Learn from the past. Live in the present. Set goals and action plans for the future. We have all heard this. We don't want to live in the past as it will cause us to become stuck in the mire of everything that has ever gone right or wrong with no changes. We can't live in the future because we don't know what uncontrollable circumstances may be on the horizon. If we try to live in the future then the slightest unknown speed bump could destroy progress.
Knowing where you've been and where you want to go, you can live in the present. Create an action plan for you 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year goals and put them in your journal and consistently revisit what you are currently doing to achieve them. Evaluate if it's working. Change if necessary. Then, live your life in accordance with what you truly want.
Journaling can be such an incredible tool in growth and progression. I am going to try to be better at being consistent at writing. I know that by reading about the benefits and feeling some of them from just one writing session that it will positively impact my life. This past couple of hours, although it is the wee hours of the morning, has been very beneficial for my mindset and possibly for my future.
Writing in a journal can do both!
Tonight, I found myself unable to sleep because of swirling thoughts an emotions. A mix of positive and negative flooded my mind and for the second night in a row my eyes were nearly too tired to open but my mind was wide awake. I pulled myself out of bed and forced my eyes open, put on some Broadway music to keep me awake and interested, and pulled out my journal.
I have never been super consistent at writing in my journal but there was a time when I was able to talk about my day or even my week in beautiful detail while mixing in my mentality. Tonight, I reviewed the four most recent entries:
July 2017. May 2018 (x2). December 2018.
Prior to tonight, I had four short entries that were supposed to detail two years of living. Two years of my life have essentially gone unrecorded. For some that is normal and okay. Great! For me, I enjoy writing and with it being so cathartic and reminiscent, I think I could have served myself better had I written in it more. That being said, I spent an hour writing out three not-super-detailed pages that attempted to cover the main points from the past six months. Although I didn't get everything in there that could have been there, the time spent writing and remembering had an incredibly positive impact on my brain and emotions. I was able to organize my thoughts and get some of them out. Those things that I keep inside because they are too complex to discuss with most people, are no longer on the inside but I can release those thoughts and revisit them from a different perspective tomorrow.
I took a bit of time after writing to google the "benefits of writing in a journal" and it seems to be a consensus that it is a beneficial practice. Keep in mind that these are not peer review psychological papers but it can be deduced that because of common themes throughout the different articles that studies have been completed and then permeated through the mainstream.
The most poignant benefits of writing in a journal to me are (1) intelligence, (2) mindfulness, and (3) stress relief. American author Flannery O'Connor has been quoted saying "I write because I don't know what I think until I read what I say." Bringing clarity to our minds opens us up to see the present for what is truly going on. It helps us identify our emotions and can even help us recognize healthy ways of addressing our emotions. It is a way for us to map out (even subconsciously) a blueprint for our goals. By re-reading past posts and goals that we wrote down we can see what actions we took and what actions need changed. And as far as intelligence, the more you write, the more you get practice at vocabulary and sentence structure and how to piece together a story. Also, introspective writing makes us brainstorm possible solutions and discover courses of action, all from evaluating what has already happened.
Learn from the past. Live in the present. Set goals and action plans for the future. We have all heard this. We don't want to live in the past as it will cause us to become stuck in the mire of everything that has ever gone right or wrong with no changes. We can't live in the future because we don't know what uncontrollable circumstances may be on the horizon. If we try to live in the future then the slightest unknown speed bump could destroy progress.
Knowing where you've been and where you want to go, you can live in the present. Create an action plan for you 1-year, 5-year, and 10-year goals and put them in your journal and consistently revisit what you are currently doing to achieve them. Evaluate if it's working. Change if necessary. Then, live your life in accordance with what you truly want.
Journaling can be such an incredible tool in growth and progression. I am going to try to be better at being consistent at writing. I know that by reading about the benefits and feeling some of them from just one writing session that it will positively impact my life. This past couple of hours, although it is the wee hours of the morning, has been very beneficial for my mindset and possibly for my future.
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