The 7 surprising benefits of Journaling

The 7 surprising benefits of Journaling

Keeping a journal is something many of us hear very frequently these days. People claim it has untold benefits. Even if it's true, people get overwhelmed by the idea of it, and are clueless about where to start.

While there are many different ways people do it, some have a format for it like including daily affirmations, and working your self beliefs and self image, while some have even published their own personalised journals with special segments. However, in my opinion there is only one way to do it.

That is, the way that feels right to you.

I feel there is nothing more fancy you need than a pen and a paper, and no fancy process other than vomiting the brain sludge down on that paper. That's it. (Sorry if that sounded crude, but that really all that is there to it).

I speak from experience. Journaling helped me get through difficult times in my life. When I penned down the thoughts, ideas, voices, anger, anxiety, worries, plans, half-plans, and everything else roaming freely in mind as if they owned the place - taking back control of my own brain was empowering. In my teens I was prone to falling prey to my overwhelming emotions and their overblown reactions. Through journaling I found a way to deal with it, and gained emotional and mental stability, and dealt with things in a more mature way. I felt the difference when I stopped journalling and those monsters started dominating my brain again. I knew I didn't ever want to go through that again. So I made journaling a habit and a priority.

So, what exactly do you write down?

Anything and everything. Literally. Anything that bothers you, that keeps making itself known in you mind after every few minutes, those inexcorcisable demonic thoughts. It’s not limited to bad stuff though. Good memories should have their place too. Anything you want to cherish and recall fondly later in your life can be immortalised by recording in your journal. You don't have to write all the details of something, or keep a daily record of your life. Write as you fancy. Personally when I started journaling, I had a busy schedule and I couldn't do it every day, and so I wrote down only when I was particularly bothered, or wanted to preserve a good memory. Sometimes I had 3 to 4 page long entries when I was particularly in the mood, but sometimes it would just be a paragraph or two. It is all up to you.

How to do it? Where to start?

Freewrite. Pick up a pen and write the first thing that comes to mind. Put aside all judgement and criticism and hate. Don't censure. You need to be completely honest with yourself. You can't block a thought because "it is too evil", or you feel ashamed for even thinking it. This is just a meeting between you and yourself. Nothing needs to be filtered out. Let the pen be your guide. Let the words flow. Don't worry about starting from the beginning. Just start. You can discover your preferred style later on, but for now, just start.

Keep A Track Of Events

Journaling makes it very convenient to recall certain events and dates, which can often be a lifesaver when you need to recall a date for an important event. It is interesting that while you may not write every single day, or every thing that happens (even if it does hold significance), you can certainly recall the time something had happened just because you can link it to something else that you have written down, and so you can track your memory that way.

Helps In Anger Management

Are you unable to focus because something your colleague said that say that has kept bothering you? Maybe a snide remark from your in-laws? Or perhaps you had a fight with your friend. Writing it down on paper can help you immensely to digest everything, by virtue of letting that steam off your head and leaving a calm, rational mind behind. You may discover that what you were getting so worked over wasn't actually a big deal at all, after your emotional reaction has been omitted from the picture. Sometimes it helps you understand the motives behind other people's actions and why they behaved in that negative (or even positive) way that they did. Maybe they were jealous? Maybe they had had a disagreement with someone else and took out their anger on you? It doesn't justify their actions, but it does leave you with a greater understanding of the event.

Helps with anxiety

Journaling is a very effective way to deal with anxiety and stress. Just the simple act of pouring your worries on paper calms the crowd of voices in your head, and helps you to focus logically and realistically. It is especially very helpful if you are having trouble sleeping because of worrisome thoughts. It helps to put the ideas and plans down on paper. Planning for things beforehand and making decisions for the next day can prevent insomnia.

Helps You Get Through Hard Things

Keeping a chronicle of events when life is particularly hard can act as a way of venting your grief, sadness or anxiousness. Intensity of emotions feel considerably lessened when you have written them down. Thoughts make more noise when they are up in your head. Confined to a paper, they are less hurtful, less intense. Also, going through old entries can help you in identifying patterns, your triggers, what sets you off, what bothers you, what kind of emotional reaction you are likely to display in a particular setting. It helps you immensely in understanding yourself and as they say, identifying the problem is half the solution.

Feels Like A Friend When You Have No One Around.

Journalling is a very comforting activity. Just the act of letting your thoughts free on the paper without any judgement or censure has a very lightening effect on one's soul. Your journal starts to feel like a friend, especially when you don't have a shoulder to cry upon, as is common when life hands you ssstroubles. It often happens that when misfortune strikes, people who swarmed to you in your good times, simply desert you. It can leave a void in your heart, and you may start to seal up all your thoughts, which is never healthy, as all that is repressed, bursts out in one huge lava eventually. Letting off steam regularly can leave you in a better frame of mind to cope with life's difficulties.

Lessons For Your Future Self

Humans are forgetful beings. After a certain time, you forget how certain things had happened. How you had felt. Why you had taken the decisions that you did. You may begin to question a rule that you had previously created for your life, and if you don't remember the reasons for it, you may again fall into that pit of mistakes. It is a great reminder of why you should not give that person a second chance, why you shouldn't trust them, why you had split up with that person, when emotions bring you to the brink of questioning.

Something To Look Back Fondly Upon

Journalling doesn't have to be just about the negative and painful stuff. It can also be a way to record beautiful memories. That joy of visiting a pleasant old memory after years is quite unparalleled. It brings a smile to your face, and satisfaction to your heart on having experienced something beautiful. However, it can also leave you with nostalgia, which is okay in small doses, but drowning in it is definitely not a good thing.

All in all, it is a good way of storing memories and perhaps sharing them with your offspring one day.

Journalling is something to take the load off your shoulders, to lighten the weight on your mind. It is a good way of unwinding and relaxing, digesting and dealing with unsavory events and emotions. It leaves one with a much better understanding of their personality and emotional reactions, and by focusing on them, one can take measures to prevent oneself from being in the same situation again. It is a way of becoming mindful by having less on your mind. Journaling, in essence, is an exercise in empathy and mindfulness.