The power of journaling
With nothing but our internal monologue keeping us company nowadays (too much company some would say), we’re now more aware of the voice in our head than ever. On top of that, there’s the negative emotions of tiredness, anger and sadness that we can experience on a daily basis. Many of us are unaware of what to do with these thoughts and feelings, so they fester inside of us for too long. They start to take over our lives and we lose sight of what makes us happy. Journaling is known to deal with these emotions and help people make sense of the world around them.
Putting pen to paper
We can all benefit from journaling. No longer the pursuit of love-struck teenagers, journal writing is a proven technique for personal growth and mental wellbeing. The act of putting your thoughts and feelings on paper helps to give both emotional and mental clarity. It puts you in touch with parts of yourself that you may have lost, enabling you to reconnect with yourself. As you write, you start to unblock aspects of your life that you never dealt with (and likely unaware that they were causing you issues). You begin a grieving process with areas of your life that you haven’t yet grieved.
Journaling is a potent spiritual practice. Spirituality is sort of an awakened sense of self, possibility and clarity. It’s so important to make contact with your inner spirituality and reconnect with your mind and body. Journaling is a great tool for doing this. It is considered a more conscious, active practice of meditation, which enables you to tap into your subconscious. This is why meditation and journaling is such a prominent part of many people’s daily routine.
When you work on your spirituality, your creativity awakens and vice versa - when you work on your creativity, your spirituality wakes up. You are bringing peace and clarity to your inner self. The act of writing transforms a feeling and brings with it an alchemy. Writing a stream of words or consciousness is an outlet for your thoughts. You can say the unsayable. There is no judgement, requirements or expectations. You understand them as thoughts in that moment and not mean them for the rest of your life. Remember, these emotions (especially the uncomfortable ones) need a place to be expressed and the pages offer a safe, private space for that without any repercussions. This allows you to experience a shift in emotions and mindset.
Journaling is different for every person. It helps us to understand the outside world and explore our inner world. It can be uncomfortable, emotionally intense and healing. It can also be none of those things or all of those things. All the journal asks you to do is slow down. In doing so, you can tap into your spirituality.
Doing the write thing
First and foremost, there is no right or wrong way to journal. You may find comfort in recounting memories and what brings you joy, or you might want to start a grieving process of unfinished aspects in your life. Whatever you do, don’t judge the process, take your time.
One of our favourite forms of journaling is gratitude journaling. You can do it anytime in the morning or night and anywhere. It’s a very effective way to rediscover your spirituality, bring yourself into the present and aid your mental health. If you’re just starting out with journaling, this is a fantastic entry point or if you’re well versed in journaling, this is a great practice to do after your morning pages, for example.
Getting started with gratitude journaling
Use an ordinary journal not a fancy, beautiful one.
This will remove any temptation to write nicely. Letting go of perfectionism is an important part of journaling because it allows you to let loose.
Write a list of 3-5 things you are grateful for everyday.
It can be anything: a stranger smiling at you, a warm bed or your partner making you tea.
Make it a ritual.
We are creatures of habit. To maintain your journal and continue writing, choose a time everyday that works for you. It will become a pattern.
Be honest with yourself.
You are the only reader so let it come out the way it’s supposed to. There’s no need to censor your writing. Being honest with yourself allows you to be honest with others.
Re-reading is optional.
Some people read them, some throw them out and others burn them. Reading old journal entries can help you see how far you’ve come or it may be a trigger if you’re working through trauma. There is no obligation to read them, but if you do, don’t edit them.
There’s so much we can get out of a pen and a few pieces of paper. Getting the cynical thoughts out of your head and physically writing them down is an effective, simple and accessible way to reignite your spirituality and creativity. This works in tandem with other areas of our circle of life, where you will reap mental, physical emotional benefits, like withstanding stress and anxiety.