Why Write?
- Journaling allows our thoughts to have a solid place to land. We’ve all experienced the proverbial hamster wheel of contemplations and emotions running through our minds. As human beings, we have around 60,000 thoughts per day, yet most of those are simply repetitions of each other. These thoughts can keep us up at night and distract us from our duties during the day. A daily journal practice helps to make sense of these repetitions and organize our ideas.
- Perhaps you’ve heard someone say, “Maybe if you talk about it, you’ll feel better.” This strategy has been proven to work in psychotherapy, and the same logic holds true for journaling. The reason behind this is that our left brains provide us with logical thought and a sense of time, whereas our right brain is the storage house for emotions and creativity. When we find ourselves in a hamster wheel of emotions, talking about it or writing about it can help us to literally step outside of our feelings because forming sentences requires the use of the left brain.
- Journaling also provides a space to process as our most authentic selves—it’s freeing to reveal the depths or our worries, joys, creative ideas, questions, and insecurities without the fear of judgment. In a way, we are allowing our feelings to be heard and validated without hurting anyone else, which serves to reduce our stress (and potentially other’s
and can be a productive way to cool off before dealing with conflict or having a big conversation.
- Journals can serve as a harvester of great ideas. Without censorship, we are free to dream, imagine, and create a sense of possibility for our lives.
- It helps us to understand ourselves better—this is, like everything in life, a process. To know ourselves is to observe our patterns over a period of time, be that a month, a year, or a lifetime. I find it both fascinating and revealing to re-read my journals from the past few years. It often feels like I’m reading the words of a friend I’ve lost touch with. We are no longer the same person, but I can still empathize with her struggles, worries, and joys, and I realize just how far “we’ve” come.
- Beyond serving as a space to vent or process negative emotions, a daily journaling practice can also function as a place to practice gratitude for the big and small moments of life. A study conducted at the University of California Davis found that after ten weeks, people who wrote about what they were thankful for reported increased goodwill toward others, increased happiness, fewer health complaints, and exercised an average of 1.5 hours more than the control group.
How to begin?
- Create a space and a place—it’s important to decide what works for you in terms of a journal. Some people find it cathartic and healing to put pen to paper. The physical act of running your pen across the page and seeing your thoughts manifest themselves in your scribble or script is incredibly personal. You might find that as your mood or situation changes, so does your script—it’s simply another indication of growth and change. It’s also helpful in not censoring yourself, as there isn’t the temptation of the backspace button if things get too real. That’s not to say using a computer (or type-writer) to collect your ideas doesn’t produce the same powerful release. Personally, I’m much quicker at getting my ideas down while typing, and sometimes this format is perfect for catching my thoughts when they feel like they’re spilling out of my head.
- Carve out a specific time for your reflection—Like everything in life, it’s important to cultivate a habit and a routine. That’s not to say you can’t whip out your journal when inspiration strikes. I keep mine with me most days, and sometimes in the middle of the day, I’ll jot down a few sentences, a quote or a question that I want to return to at a later time.
- Don’t judge what you’re writing—be honest. It’s for no one else except you, and it takes courage to tell the truth, even if it’s just the truth for that moment.
- Write down what moves you in the moment—goals, grievances, fears, hopes, day-dreams, drama, embarrassment, prayers, confessions, crushes, struggles, progress, regressions, questions, poetry, letters to an old love, letters to a new love, surprises, observations, thanks, frustrations, revelations, giggles, brilliant ideas, dumb ideas, foreign words, plans, longings, loves—there’s no right or wrong subject
- Use question prompts to get the words flowing (if you need them) 52 Journal Prompts, 365 Journal Prompts
- Don’t delete! Some of the most uncomfortable things we have to say provide the greatest insight into our souls and the greatest growth in our lives. Dream big. Write down your goals. Pose your questions. Envision your life. Cultivate your creativity. Perhaps that means adding in quotes that inspire you or doodling along the edges. Whatever it is, this is your safe space. Let it all out!
- Keep it up. Remain dedicated to your practice as you would mediation or exercise—the benefits come with consistency.