It’s a fact that we have loads of information coming at us from the external world, more than any other time in history. And if you’re an intellectual being, getting wrapped up in thoughts (regardless of whether they’re positive or negative, necessary or not) can keep you from resting or progressing.
Mindfulness and meditation are obvious tools to deal with mind-chatter and purging what’s not immediately helpful, but oftentimes we need an intermediate step, one that is focused on action – not just receptivity and awareness. Journaling is the medium I use daily to inspire, organize, and improve my life for the better.
Journaling can help you too! Here’s how…
5 Ways You Can Benefit From Journaling
1) Clearing mind for sleep
Do you have a hard time falling asleep? Are you recapping the day’s events in your mind or busy planning for tomorrow? It’s best to write this all down before you get in bed so your mind can rest. This is a practice you may want to model for and teach to an older child who may have a hard time adjusting to bedtime as well.
Sometimes you may fall asleep easily from exhaustion but then wake up thinking about something you forgot to do or need to do the next day. If you keep your journal near your bed, it’s easy to sit up, turn on the light, write it down, and go back to sleep. Your mind will be at peace knowing that you took care of the reminder in your notes.
2) Organizing your mind for work
Sometimes a simple to-do list is not enough when needing to tackle important projects. Journaling can help you flesh out the importance and details of teach task. Mind Mapping is a more sophisticated way of creating content and ideas and organizing them into a logical order.
3) Discovering your life’s purpose
Journaling can help you figure out what you’re passionate about. Write down your heart’s desire, your perfect day, how it would feel to contribute to the world as you wish, and how you’d like to be remembered.
If you need more guidance on this, check out:
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Speed Dial the Universe Journal by business coach Jeanna Gabellini. There’s a digital version that you can download for a fee.
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Practice You journal by yoga teacher Elena Brower. It’s filled with her beautiful watercolor paintings and this message: “Elevating humanity to spark, share and sustain well-being, this journal invites you to know yourself and what nourishes you best. Intended for you to work on with your friends, family, students, and teachers, this is a chance to create a stunning, real map to your highest self.”
4) Recording your evolution
If you are working on something you’re passionate about, keeping a journal is a lovely way to not only organize your tasks, but to watch how you grow and evolve. I’ve been keeping a journal since my Yoga teacher training instructor recommended doing so back in 2001. It’s so interesting to look back on those beginning entries. I have matured in a myriad of ways since that time, but it wouldn’t be so apparent without this baseline to view from.
I continued writing in this journal when I quit teaching yoga to have my son. It became my pregnancy diary, my mothering support guide, my shamanic journey records, my small business planner, my list of business prospects, and what I use to maintain positive mindset as a network marketing professional. This journal has captured important milestones and the work I did to achieve them.
5) Processing emotions
Journaling is a way to vent emotions from the heart and the beliefs that are attached to them. Writing them down is way more powerful than just complaining out loud to someone. When you write down your feelings, there is more space to experience the emotion and what it looks like from the outside. There’s a chance to see the situation that elicited the emotion from a different perspective. We can then write down how we’d like to react differently, how we’d like it to change. It is first-person therapy and super effective.
Ready to Journal?
Simply grab some paper and a pen and write away! Or you can buy a special journal that is beautiful or has some helpful images and text like the ones mentioned above.
Do you keep a journal? How has it benefited your life? We’d love to hear your experience in the comments!
