You don’t need to look far for a simple way to take care of your emotional health. Journaling is one of the best ways to engage your mind and body, resulting in healthier living. From diving deep in self-exploration to mapping out everything that’s in your head, journaling has you covered. Below are 3 reasons to get into journaling and ways to get started.
- Journaling keeps things rational. Often, we get caught up emotionally when we are deep in our thoughts. We can spiral until we are so upset that it’s difficult to settle back down. When we write the thoughts on the page, we become the observer of the thought, separating from it, even for just a bit. The process of journaling allows us to take a more objective view of what’s going on leading to greater clarity and problem-solving ability.
- Journaling helps release emotion. When we hold emotion in, it can increase stress leading to social, emotional, and physical problems. Journaling is a way to release what’s in our hearts safely, in a contained space. When we name our feelings, it can reduce the intensity of them, making them much easier to deal with.
- Journaling offers deep self-reflection. We are continually evolving. Journaling is a way to take time and document how we are showing up to our lives. Through writing, we discover what matters to us: our values, hopes, dreams, fears, and more. It becomes a sorting out process to deepen our connection to ourselves.
How to Get Started
Here are some simple tips to get you revved up.
- Get a pen and paper. While typing can be great (and convenient), hand writing activates greater brain power than does typing, and writing slows down the cognitive process, allowing for greater reflection.
- Find a time to journal daily. Consider first thing in the morning or just before bedtime. Let your journaling become part of a meaningful ritual.
- Write about your day: what you have coming up or what your day was like
- Journal gratitude. Take time in your journal to write 3-5 things that you are grateful for.
- Free write. Set a timer for 5-10 minutes and just let it all out. Keep going until your timer runs out.
- Consider journal prompts. There are plenty online to choose from. Here are a couple to get started: Describe 5 things that bring you joy; head out into nature and describe what you see or experience; write about a memory that made you laugh.
- Play. Let journaling be about the process vs the outcome. Resist the urge to ‘do it right.’ You’re doing it and that’s the best thing.
