Journaling is one of the techniques I use the most and I always recommend to my clients.
When feeling stuck, stressed, overwhelmed or low, it is a simple but powerful exercise that will help you get clarity and release any unpleasant emotions you might be experiencing.
You just need a pen, a piece of paper and start writing about whatever is in your mind. It couldn’t be easier!
You can do it whenever, even in your daily commute.
Although if you want to get the most of it, it’s better to do it when you know you have some time to be on your own and you know you won’t be disturbed.
Don’t worry about the grammar, the vocabulary or if what you say is politically incorrect.
This is for your emotional well-being and no one is going to see this.
The key is to do automatic writing, just write whatever comes to your mind, without filters. That way we can open the door to unconscious beliefs and thoughts.
If we worry too much about the content or we stop and think before writing, we will be stuck in the conscious or logical mind, and we want to access what’s underneath – the beliefs that might be operating without us even being aware of it!
If you don’t like the idea of keeping your notes, you can throw them away when you finish. But if you always use the same notebook, it can be extremely insightful to go back and read what you wrote months or even years ago. You will see your evolution and growth and it can be truly rewarding.
Still not convinced about journaling?
Have a look at this list of benefits of journaling:
1.It’s free.
All you need is pen, paper and your hand! You can buy a special notebook if you fancy, which can make the experience more special, but it’s also effective if you just grab the first piece of paper you find.
The key is to start putting your thoughts in paper without worrying too much about the format or the handwriting.
2.Easy and simple.
You don’t need to know any specific techniques or have any knowledge to start journaling.
it’s just about putting your thoughts and feelings in a piece of paper.
Of course knowing how to interpret the results or being guided by a coach can improve the results, but anyone can start doing it. Here is a list of 50 questions to ask yourself if you need some help getting started!
3.It will help you get clarity.
You can use journaling to break down a problem and brainstorm potential solutions. Once you put in paper the source of your worries, everything will become more clear and you will feel less overwhelmed.
Brainstorming solutions will help you narrow down the alternatives and assess all the options in order to make conscious decisions.
Journaling can be especially useful when you feel confused or you feel bad and don’t know why, it will definitely give you some clarity.
4.Release tension and unpleasant emotions.
Journaling is a great tool to let all negative thoughts and unpleasant emotions out. Especially when you’re angry at someone and you would love to tell them a thing or two but you know it’s actually not the best idea. But there’s something you can do to let it out: put it in paper! Journaling is your opportunity to give voice to everything you want to say to someone (especially when it’s politically incorrect or it includes a high proportion of swear words) without hurting them or making things worse. Once you let it all out, you can think how to go about it and have a conversation without all that anger inside.
I give more details about hot to express your emotions in a healthy way in this article.
5.Self-discovery.
You can use journaling to know yourself better. It can help you understand your values, your goals, what your priorities are, your purpose…
You can also use it to identify potential patterns, behaviours or beliefs you didn’t know you had.
When you do automatic writing, some thoughts might surprise you, but it’s a great way to know what’s happening at an unconscious level and know more about yourself.
6.You can keep track of your progress.
I like to keep my journals. When you read one from months ago or even years ago you will be shocked to see how much progress you’ve made!
This is especially important for women due to our cyclical nature. We go through hormonal and energetic changes that repeat every cycle. How we experience these changes is different for every women.
Understanding these changes and tracking your mood, energy level, sleep, emotions or any other relevant variables can give you invaluable information to identify patterns.
When you identify your patterns, you can use them to plan your work and personal life around them. This information is gold! When you understand and embrace your cycle, you can use it to optimise your performance, well-being and fulfilment.
7.Inspiration and ideas.
Once you start writing, ideas will flow. Stuck in a project or important decision? Start writing. Even if you think that you have no idea about what to do or you are just stuck with the same old thoughts, just start writing and see what happens.
The first sentences might not give you a lot of information but when you relax and start flowing, fresh ideas and new thoughts will start coming up.
8.Self-improvement.
What you don’t know, you can’t change. What you learn about yourself, you can change. Journaling is a great tool to gain awareness of our inner world.
Are there any limiting beliefs? Any repeated thoughts? Any areas of your life you’re not happy about? Maybe something you know you can improve about yourself?
You have the power to change anything you want, but the first step is knowing what you want to change!
If this article spoke to you, my online course ‘Awaken Your Inner Power – The Feminine Way’ includes many similar tools, video explanations and guided visualisations, check it out here!
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