Benefits of Journalling

I have been journalling now for a number of years and at times it has been perfunctory and I lost sight of what it was giving me.  Yesterday I met my coach Debs Green and said that I had completed three entries in a single sitting as I had been away at the weekend.  I realised this did sound a little crazy.  My upbringing was always very disciplined that if you started something you had to finish it, so the fact I would have a journal with incomplete days was not sitting comfortably. 

However this morning I have just written one entry for yesterday where everything is clear in my head and I used the journal for what I wanted it to be there for.  There are so many benefits to journalling and keeping them in mind will refresh your view and not see it as a chore or just a log of your activities.

The Benefits of Journalling:-

No Screen time

They key to being  effective and enjoying journalling is to decide the right time to make an entry.  Some like to draw a line under the day so it is the last thing they do at night or last task of the day in work mode.  I prefer to write my entry in the morning, before I put the lid of the laptop up.  The engagement with paper and pen is key, it might be your only activity all day that is not on a screen.

Reducing Anxiety

My own journalling experience has significantly helped combat some upcoming situations I think will be stressful.  By writing down my anxiety it does not seem nearly as big, and it gives me confidence to navigate the situation.

Managing your Emotions

Journalling is obviously reflective so you can't manage the emotions in the moment, however recording how you felt can give you that perspective as to whether it was valid.  A tactic for some is to record 5 feelings and 5 thoughts this can identify patterns and reactions to certain situations.

Self Awareness

The benefit of evaluating your behaviours, thoughts and feelings is so useful to understand "What shadow do you cast?" Are you happy with the memory you leave in peoples minds.  Recording interactions with others and how you felt can give you that insight as to how you come across.

Goal Setting/Tracking

Motivation is a key component of emotional intelligence and achievement underpins it, so by seeing progress in written form and being personal to you is hugely uplifting.  Statistics show that you are more likely to achieve a goal if you write it down and monitor it.

Problem Solving

Problems seem much smaller when written down, with the space and time of journalling you have time to think differently about the problem.  You can be creative with mind mapping, doodling and sketching so that the problem is not just in your head.

Mindfulness

Being with your thoughts and feelings for the time it takes to write the journal can be a fantastic mindfulness tool. 

Growing your Self Esteem

Acknowledging YOU in your journal, your successes and the feedback you receive.  Take time to really think of the things that have gone well as they will feed your self esteem.

Writing this blog has given me renewed vigour as to how I engage with my journal.