Journaling can have a profound impact on your life. From Hemingway to Ben Franklin to Virginia Woolf to Mark Twain, George Lucas and many more, we see a common thread. These people were extremely insightful contributors to the way we view the world and all of them were dedicated journalists of their own lives. Journaling gave them the outlet for brilliant work.
A journal is a powerful tool that has the ability to change your life and you. Since the time humans became self-aware, we also became documenters of our lives. Since the beginning of our time here on earth, we have intuitively understood the power involved in journaling.
To this day journals are prescribed to patients by their psychologists, religiously used in classrooms for children at school, and encouraged by many people for many reasons. This is because journaling has the power to heal. It has the power to relieve suffering, take away emotional baggage, teach you about yourself, and show you what’s really important in your life. Sounds good right?
Here are 5 incredible reasons why you should start journaling right now!
Emotional release
What happens when your hands are full of heavy books you’ve never had a chance to read before? They have no real effect on your psyche, but they sure are heavy. When you put them down, the strain on your arms becomes lighter. You must let them go before you can read them. Journaling works much in the same fashion. When you carry so many emotions, your psyche is unable to process. Journalling allows you to put down the emotions so you can have the opportunity to read the situation. It is a release of emotions. A transference of the spiritual into physical form.
Allows you to get out negative emotions without affecting someone else’s well-being
One of the best parts about journaling is that you don’t have to watch what you say. You don’t have to worry about being a good person or a bad person. All people experience emotions both good and bad. As children, we were taught about the inappropriate nature of expressing negative emotions. Instead, we bottle them up inside and let them fester and become part of who we are. Why not instead release them to your journal. Get rid of those negative emotions. It is an incredibly liberating experience. It’s therapy; writing therapy.
Can help you process reality and be honest with yourself
Sometimes life happens and it’s tough to take it all in and make sense of it all. Consider the death of a loved one or the loss of a home or a divorce. These life events have significant meaning for us and writing it all down can help us process and really see the entire truth of a situation.
A way to persevere memories
This is a big benefit of journaling you may not have considered. This can work in one of two ways. You can look back on the story of your life. Journals are a direct road to memoryville for sure. The second way is that to re-experience significant memories that you have by journaling about them. This can especially be helpful in times of grief.
Amazing way to practice gratitude
Surely you have heard of a gratitude journal? But, have you actually tried it? There’s something about putting your thoughts down on paper that makes it final and real. When writing about the good things in life and the things you are most thankful for, it becomes a more powerful force in your life.
Neuroscience has studied the incredible effects that writing with pen and paper have on the brain. When you put pen to paper it doesn’t only hit the imaginative part of your brain, but also the emotional and sensual part. We have a better understanding through the power of sense. This is not to say that there are no benefits if you journal on a computer or cell phone. The writing process itself is an amazing concept with the power to heal and change your life. Give it a try and let us know in the comments below if it works for you. 🙂
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