Journaling is a powerful tool. It can be used in many different areas of life to help you grow, learn and figure out why you may be stuck.
Journaling is more than just a tool to sort through your emotions, it can help you figure out why you are struggling. Uncover limiting beliefs and begin the work of getting the life you want.
You are in the right place if you are ready to learn how to journal, or how to make your current journaling more effective.
What are the Benefits of Journaling?
The benefits are numerous. Including everything from discovering limiting beliefs to healing emotional wounds. The sheer amount of benefits from journaling is why it is my favorite way to explore me and my feelings. Just a few for you to see the benefits of journaling:
Better Understand Emotions
Studies have shown it reduces activity in your Amygdala, which is where emotions are processed.
Improved Physical Health
Journaling can help reduce stress, thus improving your health on multiple fronts. Including improved immune functioning.
Better Sleep
Doing a brain dump before bed has been shown to shorten how long it takes you to fall asleep.
Faster Self Discovery
Journaling is a great way to explore and learn about yourself. The more you know about how and why you do what you do, the sooner you reach your goals.
Problem Solving
Writing is a great way to brainstorm and solve problems.
Emotional Release
Sometimes you just need to vent, and journaling is a great safe space to do so.
What to Journal About
This is the best part of journaling. You can write about anything.
Here are just a few of the things that you can journal about:
- Dreams you had the night before
- New business ideas
- Your feelings
- Your goals
The options are endless, and they are all beneficial.
Still stuck on what to write about in your journal? Here is a list I made of the most common types of journals.
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Journaling FAQ
See the most asked questions
This is a personal preference. You have a few options.
1. Destroy them immediately. Do this if you fear someone will see it, or you are simply using journaling as a venting tool.
2. Save for a while then destroy. I used to do this when I first started. I would finish a journal. Save it for about a year, re-read it and then destroy it.
3. Keep them permanently. This is where I have moved to now. Mainly because I go back and look for things like journal prompts and lessons I have learned. Also because there are so many great lessons in them, I don't want to lose them.
I love re-reading my journals. I do this at two different times.
1. Before starting to journal, I will sometimes re-read the last couple entries. This is for a couple reasons. Sometimes there are great insights you get after the fact. Reviewing helps you gather more from one session.
2. A year or two later. I love to do this to see how far I have come. It helps keep me motivated and excited to continue with my emotional healing work.
Having a time frame is beneficial if you plan on keeping your journals. If you don't plan on keeping them, it is less important.
You can either date them every time you write. Or what I do is write the start date of the journal on the front page. Then when I am done, I write the end date on the same page. I do this because, I will often journal a couple times a day and sometimes forget to date it.
For the most part no. However, there are times when it is wise to take a break. When you are working on a highly emotional problem, it might trigger feelings that are overwhelming. If you suddenly have a negative mood shift. Stop, take a break and come back later. It may help in between sessions to meditate about what you uncover so you can deal with your emotions.