Journaling is a practice that has existed for centuries. Keeping a diary, writing letters are forms of journaling that many people practice from a young age - remember, writing all your secrets in that locked diary, for your eyes only? Hiding it under your bed or in a drawer underneath your clothes?
Journaling is, in a way, recording your life events, your feelings, your hopes and fears, because, at the end of the day, it is a well-known fact that feelings should not be bottled up deep inside. They need to get out in some way and,for some people, talking to someone close and trustworthy is not always an option available, so journaling is an excellent way to let it all out.
When it is so easy nowadays to record all your memories - precious or not - visually through photos, videos, Facebook (or any social media platform), texting... with only your mobile phone, writing has become a lost way to express yourself. Yet, writing with only pen and paper can be a very relaxing and cathartic experience. Taking the time for yourself to put these words down on paper, to get them out of your system, acknowledge them and, hopefully, eventually heal from the feelings and experiences that stifle us.
In this fast-pace world, taking the time and slowing down surely can’t be bad things.
Journaling is probably one of the cheapest therapies you can gift yourself. No need for fancy pens and journals - a cheap Biro and notebook will do the job exactly the same way.
You can even use scraps of paper that you can afterwards shred or burn (please don’t burn the house down in the process though - be safe) for painful feelings. Getting rid of your words after writing them is a very significant experience - you have acknowledged them by putting them down on paper and got rid of them as to let go of those feelings that are so painful. I know it sounds silly but the way it works is quite powerful and liberating - you can just try and judge for yourself.
The benefits of journaling are multi-fold and scientifically proven: clarifying your thoughts and feelings, knowing yourself better, reducing stress, solving problems more effectively and resolving disagreements with others.
Putting your thoughts on paper, with sheer honesty and almost ruthlessly, hiding nothing and also in the crudest way, helps you see situations and feelings as they really are. It enables you to reflect on them with more clarity and objectivity, and therefore ends up helping you make better and more rational decisions, rather than lashing out blindly and making the situation worse for yourself and others.
Only then can you make achievable, sustainable and relevant goals for yourself to improve your happiness. Because, at the end of the day, it is all down to this. This is the ultimate goal, why we all do what we do and say what we say.
For some people, writing comes easily, whereas for others, it is more of a struggle. What to say, how to say it, everything you try to write, if you actually manage to write anything at all, sounds dumb and illiterate. Well, you know what? It does not matter in the slightest if your writing style doesn’t equate F. Scott Fitzgerald’s. You’re not in it to write a masterpiece that will become a New York Times bestseller - you’re in this ONLY for yourself and it is all for your eyes only.
The aim of the game is for you to open up and let all these feelings in your head, mind, heart and soul out - the good, the bad and the ugly (especially the ugly)!
When I journal about something that bugs me or infuriates me, I’m not ashamed to say, I swear even more than when I speak (and that’s saying something)! Do I care? Even less than my first ever pair of socks! Do I feel better for it? Heck, YEAH!!! Well, to me, that’s just good enough.
The best way to journal is to let it all flow, no overthinking about it. I like to call this my train of thoughts. Whatever you write will guide you to what to write next. You just have to let go and trust the process. It does not matter if it makes sense or not. Whatever comes out is whatever you need to let out of your system, whatever needs to be expressed, at that particular moment.
Going instinctive like this may lead you to traumatic experiences that you may have repressed all your life and that you were not aware it even existed.
When this happens, please ensure that you have a supportive system around you to help you through it. It could be close family or friends, a doctor or any other medical professional, or specialised helplines such as Samaritans (free phone number 116 123 - in the UK). Whatever comes up that distresses you, you don’t have to go through it alone - and in fact you shouldn’t. Asking for help is natural. Don’t feel ashamed of it.
For people who have never journaled before or are not natural writers (like me, but I’m working on it), starting is the most difficult part for sure. What do I write about? How often? What if I do it wrong?
First of all, you can never do it wrong. You either do it or you don't.
You can start by writing about your day at the end of the day. Any stress or worries are down on the page instead of in your head, keeping you awake, tossing and turning in your bed. Or/and write first thing in the morning before starting your day. You can write about what you need to do, what you’re hoping for, how you want to be/feel. Many possibilities here.
As well as recording your day, your hopes and plans, you are also recording your feelings.
The only rules (for any kind of beneficial journaling) are no censorship and sheer honesty. Don’t hide anything because you think it’s not politically correct. Again, this is for your own benefit only, not for the whole world to read.
If you want to go deeper or feel that writing about your day doesn’t do it for you, another great way to explore your feelings and get to know who you are, are journaling prompts. You can google “journaling prompts” and literally thousands of suggestions and articles will come up. That’s a good place to start.
I created my own journaling prompts cards from such an online search - there was just no way I was going to remember all these so I had to create a system that would work for me. Picking uncomfortable prompts to include in your deck is essential as, only then will you truly get to know who you really are. We get so influenced by the outside world (friends, family, media, our culture, our upbringing and experiences) that who we think we are is always tinted by who we think - and other people think - we should be. Doing this deep journaling soul work is the only way to find your truth. Not easy, not always a pure pleasure, not quick, but nevertheless essential.
I do not use my cards daily but, whenever I can, I will pick a card from my deck randomly and journal about it - whether I like the prompt or not. Challenging yourself is good for you.
Making your own journaling prompts cards is a great way to also explore your creativity - another excellent healer. And spending the time creating the cards will make you more likely to use them, as opposed to just a list you printed from the Internet. I personally like the random quality of it - I have roughly 80 prompt cards in my deck (and room in my box for more if I fancy creating extra ones) so I genuinely don’t remember the prompts I have. Picking just any, discovering the prompt and intuitively reacting to it is the best quick start to journaling I know.
Whatever you journal about doesn’t have to be 10 pages long. Even 2 lines are enough, as long as you feel you have written everything you needed to. You stop when it feels ENOUGH to YOU.
2 lines of journaling and letting go is better than none.
If you wish to make journaling a daily practice, getting a 1-day per page diary can help you greatly in keeping it up as each blank page can make you accountable - a great motivator. However, please don’t beat yourself up if you’ve missed a couple of days. We all have hectic lives so give yourself some slack when you need to.
I am not giving you a list of prompts, not because I am a meany (teasing you with how good journaling is and not giving you prompts to start on), but because I would like you to explore ideas yourself. Anything that your soul needs, if you listen, it will ask. And this is a perfect way to start.
I will also start Sunday Journaling Prompt posts from this Sunday coming, so keep your eyes open! With the wish that it stimulates your practice.
Whether you are a seasoned journalist or a total beginner, I hope this article would have inspired you to either keep it up or get started, and given you some extra ideas on how to make your journaling practice stick and grow, in a beneficial way to you.
Happy healing through words...
No comments:
Post a Comment