Having a diary or journal is a common enjoyment for children, and interestingly enough it is an ancient tradition as well. As young as children are, they have a way of being totally honest and present without holding anything back. However, as older individuals, we begin to think and process information to the point of repressing certain inconveniences or avoiding our innermost feelings at times, which cause insecurity and a lack of true happiness. Therefore, consider getting a journal and utilizing it on a daily or weekly basis for the sole purpose of expressing yourself honestly and increasing your sense of self.
When talking out your feelings isn’t feasible but you still need to get that burst of positivity out in you, you don’t have to resort to rage-like tendencies. In an effort to refrain from perpetuating the stereotype of letting physical aggression take over, let us encourage an open-minded declaration of expressing ourselves.
Enter the journal. Here you can creatively salvage an understanding about yourself while simultaneously releasing any evasive feelings. Every morning or every evening, actively decide to make a commitment to write a few sentences in your journal. There should be 3 parts to it:
1. Express any feelings you have about that day
Get into your feelings for a moment. We keep our emotions bottled in for so long that they can eventually lead to repressed energy that simply makes us miserable in the long run. So be open and honest and write it all out without thinking too much. Doing so will additionally open up any channels of frustration or confusion you might seem to come across if you have some quarrels with friends. It is a truthful way to enter your world of meaning.
2. Discover what you have learned that day (about yourself, your partner, your day, etc.)
Did you come to a realization about something or someone? Ask yourself and then do some intellectual thinking and soul-searching about any new insights you might have gained about your day. Writing it all out lets you learn more about yourself as a person. How you think, feel, understand, and accept things will essentially teach you something about yourself and what you care about.
3. Add the specific things you are grateful for on that specific day
When you have had a hard day and finding things to be happy about is difficult, that is when you need to think of something you are grateful for most. When you find something that turns your frown upside down, you will feel happy for the right reasons. Yes, shopping for clothing can make you happy, but being grateful for something you already have is a powerful gesture rather than a temporary high.
Overall Health Benefits of Journaling
The health benefits of journaling are highly plausible. Through writing in your journal, since you are clearly able to focus on how you feel at a given moment, you are exercising your mental health. For instance, you are essentially going into your thoughts, and through this you can effectively begin to alter your habits into positive choices.
Aside from the obvious fact of being able to track your mood, you will also be getting to know yourself better. When you write as a routine, your confidence will increase. You will be better at judging situations, will quickly realize toxic people, and in turn will not let drama overwhelm your life.
You will be reducing your stress through any release of emotional aggression or tension, and that will make you calmer and will help you stay in the present moment. In general, we use our left brain to form analytical judgments and solve problems. Through journaling, we can increase our ability to solve problems more efficiently since journaling enhances our right brain to become alert and active by generating creativeness as well as intuition.
There you have it! Journal writing is an easy way to access your inner world of true feelings, and it is additionally a great resource for releasing pent-up emotions and building up confidence for yourself through clarifying your thoughts. For more info on how to express yourself productively, visit my wellness website: Lusciously Levi.