There are many things in this world that can take a turn for the worse. Relationships, medication, your job, friendships, the weather, and so much more. Oddly enough, when these things happen, we tend to focus on the bad and ugly things rather than the good. So, can journaling take away these issues? Not necessarily, but there’s something about writing down your thoughts in a leather-bound notebook that is so satisfying to the soul.
A quote that I tend to cherish and keep close to my heart is, “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” This was said by an amazing writer and poet by the name of William Wordsworth. Writing is so much more than sitting down and scribbling on paper. It’s allowing yourself to breathe. Writing can take, what should have been, and give it another opportunity.
Journaling can be for everyone, anywhere and anytime too! Journaling can be used to achieve goals, track progress and growth in your own life, help you gain self-confidence, reduce stress or anxiety, strengthen your memory, help find your inspirations, and many other things! Keeping track of your emotions, such as keeping a mood tracking log, can help you keep more control. Being able to keep an eye on your emotions can possibly help you see a pattern throughout the days, through the rough and stressful moments in your life, and so many other things. When you write down your thoughts, it can give you a safe place to recall memories, think out loud about things you have always kept inside, etc.
Journaling can be more than just writing down your day-to-day thoughts. Just like a whole library of books, there are a series of many genres that we can enjoy. You don’t just have to write the same thing over and over again. For example, how your day went, what you ate, the people you saw and etc. Life as a journaler can be SO much more exciting and worth more! Different ways you can journal are by:
Making a dream log. Take notes of your dreams! A tip for this is to write as soon as you wake up in the morning.
A food journal: Keeping track of the foods that you eat, and how they make you feel after. Who knows, you could draw attention to something you might be allergic to that affects your mood and behavior!
Gratitude journal: These are so helpful. They let you see the beauty around you and help you see what amazing things are in your life. Sometimes you can get caught up in the darkness around you and not see the light.
Sketch journal: This can help you express yourself through pictures if words don’t always come to you.
Checklist journal: If you have trouble throughout the day finding stuff to do and then not feeling satisfied with your day, a checklist journal can help with those emotions! At the end of the day, you can see what you’ve completed!
Keeping a journal can actually change your life and for the better! Journaling has actually helped clear my emotions. And for you, it can help you mop up all puddles of stress in your life, it exercises your mind and memory, and it allows a safe place for you to rant about life decisions, politics, and ANYTHING you want to write about.
Writing things down, such as in a gratitude journal, can help you become more naturally positive, makes you give less power to negative emotions, and writing down things can help you make them feel more real. It helps improve your self-esteem. Showing gratitude can help prevent some social comparison, and having gratitude can help you trust others, as well as yourself.
So, it’s easy right! Don’t be afraid, pick up that journal, find a fancy pen, and just relax and write. There are so many options when it comes to journaling. Trust me, it won’t become boring.
Sources:
COHEN, Y. (2017, August 1). 5 Reasons Keeping a Gratitude Journal Will Change Your Life. Goodnet.Org. Retrieved February 19, 2022, from https://www.goodnet.org/articles/5-reasons-keeping-gratitude-journal-will-change-your-life
Hardy, B., Ph.D. (2021, January 5). Keeping A Daily Journal Could Change Your Life. Inc.Com. Retrieved, February 20th, 2021 https://www.inc.com/benjamin-p-hardy/why-keeping-a-daily-journal-could-change-your-life.html
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