How journaling can change your life

I wrote an article about mindfulness and meditation called How to tap into the power of the present which you can access by clicking here. However, I really believe journaling can be a mindful practice as well because it also brings awareness to where you are now. Plus the benefits of meditation and journaling are very similar.

Here’s a far from exhaustive list of the benefits of journaling:

Journaling can:

boost your mood
enhance your sense of well being
reduce symptoms of depression
reduce intrusion and avoidance symptoms after trauma
improve your working memory
help you to accept your emotions
help you to manage stress
strengthen you immune system
lower blood pressure
aid sleep
reduce anxiety
promote and enhance creativity
help you to set and achieve goals
help you to let go of things that are unimportant
help to identify patterns and influences in your life
facilitate learning
boost gratitude

If you’ve read the meditation and mindfulness article, you’ll notice the similarities. These benefits are taken from 83 Benefits of Journaling for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress published on the Positive Psychology website. If you would like to read the full article, click here.

Rather than an “either/or” approach though, I’m all for “and” – meditation and journaling. Meditation to help calm the mind and to help you become aware of your thoughts, and journaling to help you understand why you think certain ways and what you can do about it. Add in tarot and you’ve won the trifecta.

Journaling can move you towards who you are and the life you want to live.

There can be magic hidden in those thoughts if you choose to consciously consider them. You may discover: the bull in your negative self talk; your habit of thinking about why you can’t do something rather than why you can; how much importance you give to inconsequential stuff; how much power you give to random strangers; and so it goes on.

Writing has been an important part of my life for a long time now. I love to write and I love to research. I have also dedicated thousands of hours to journaling, but mainly in the form of free writing. However, it was when I started to focus my journaling that I feel I gained the most benefit. Before I would write just to get things out of my head and I know this process has been beneficial. However, it could only take me so far. It showed me what was in my head but since my aim was just to get it out of there I didn’t do much with it.

My approach has changed slowly. I began following the W.R.I.T.E. approach without realising it. Write stands for:

W – What do you want to write about? Name it.
R – Review or reflect on it
I – Investigate your thoughts and feelings. Just start writing and keep writing.
T – Time yourself – write for 5 to 15 minutes straight.
E – Exit “smart” by re-reading what you’ve written and reflecting on it with one or two sentences (Adams, n.d.)

I’ll admit that I don’t always time myself. That I tend to save for topics I’m not keen to explore so I can’t chicken out before “stuff” has a chance to come out. I also have a slightly different approach to the Exit. Where applicable, I add some form of action I can take to move me further along in the direction I want to head. It doesn’t have to be much.

For example I might: write another journal prompt to explore some aspect I uncovered; put a note on my desk to remind me to go and sit out in the sun more; jot down a reminder to read the book I want to read and whatever I need to do to make that happen, or to look for a new bush walk to explore along with the intention to actually go and walk it. It all depends on what I was writing about obviously. The aim is to act in some way on what I’ve discovered. It’s this that transforms journaling from a naval gazing practice to a potentially life changing and inspirational tool.

When meditation, tarot and journaling combine I find that happy place where I can focus on what it is I want and then take steps to achieve it calmly and with intention. In the process a life that once felt purposeless is now purposeful and exciting. I wouldn’t say I jump out of bed like one of those mattress commercials, but I do look forward to experiencing each new day.

Why not give it a try for yourself? Not sure where to start then contact me and I can give you some tips.