The Benefits of Journaling
Exploring the power of writing our thoughts down.
Introduction
Journaling has been a constructive habit for hundreds of years evident by Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations. The book Meditations was not intended to be published and displayed the many benefits of converting our thoughts into words. It provides incredible insight into stoicism and invaluable ways of thinking that still prove useful today.
Life Lessons
Nothing compares to the teachings of our own personal experiences. Journaling allows us to keep track of our lives and see exactly where things go right or wrong. This allows us to review our life and learn important lessons for moving forwards. There are many situations that we may forget or are often hidden in the subconscious that may be a pivotal point in the change of our feelings or how we act. When we put our life and feelings into words we can review this journal when things are rough and see where we are going wrong and what to change to improve it.
Bringing out the Subconscious
A large part of our feelings and actions are determined by our subconscious mind. These subconscious thoughts go unacknowledged and remain in the dark often coming out in a negative or destructive way. By journaling, we illuminate our subconscious revealing our deepest insecurities and feelings confronting them so we can move forward and deal with them constructively.
Accountability
Keeping a journal each day alone is an act of discipline which can often progress into other habits or aspects of your life. Not only this but by keeping a journal, you are holding yourself accountable when trying to stick to habits. We often give up on habits such as working out or learning a new language because it seems like a lot of work for seemingly little progression. If we look back at our journal we can acknowledge every small step and improvement providing inspiration and motivation to keep going.
Reducing Anxiety
Life can often be chaotic which can lead to a sense of being overwhelmed or overthinking. By journaling, you are taking these thoughts and feelings and putting them into order through writing. This allows for a sense of control as well as a clear view of your thoughts and situation so you can tackle it productively rather than spiralling into a pattern of anxiety and overthinking. Studies have also shown that it breaks down emotional blockages so we don’t have to hold on to panicked or stressful thoughts which can impact us throughout the whole day.
How to journal
While journaling is an incredibly helpful tool for putting our life and thoughts into order it can also have negative effects when done wrong. If you are journaling, holding onto the past and focusing on the pain it will only promote negativity. It must be done constructively so while being raw and honest with your emotions you have to focus on solutions and moving forwards. A good way to journal is to write down emotions throughout the day, along with any general experiences. Keep track of positive things you have done as well as areas you can improve but do not focus on the negatives instead use them as a clear indication of where to improve.
