Reasons to keep a journal if you don’t already…
I remember when I was young, maybe about twelve or thirteen, I kept a diary. It was blue and sparkly and I kept it under my mattress in my bedroom. I would hide under the covers at night and write in it. When I first got my diary, I think it was in my stocking one Christmas, I used to just write an account of my day, which back then (and not much has changed!), was pretty repetitive and mundane - get up, get dressed, go to school, go home, do homework, have supper, go to bed; I perhaps included some more detail but that was the measure it.
I soon discovered that writing about this wasn’t very thrilling, and so I began to write about….wait for it….. my feelings!! Now this, even as a twelve or thirteen year old, would have made for much more interesting reading, but not only that, it felt much better to write abut my feelings than just about what I have done that day. I wrote about arguments I’d had with friends, I wrote about boys I had crushes on. I wrote about my parents arguing. I wrote in it when I was happy, I wrote in it when I was sad, and it became rather a nice companion - a good listener who was always there, who never judged me, and never told me I was an idiot!
Well, as you can imagine, not a lot has changed! I still have a diary, although now I call it a journal. And it is still an extremely good listener, who doesn’t judge me and never calls me an idiot (although the latter would possibly be helpful at times). And believe it or not, the content hasn’t changed that much either! What has changed though, is my appreciation of what writing in my journal can actually do for me, and I really do find it an integral part of my day. I have written a previous blog about habits, big ones and small ones, and for me, journaling is small, but very significant habit that has had an incredibly positive impact on my life.
So what is the point of writing in a journal? Studies have shown that journaling can help reduce stress and anxiety, and can even result in people taking less sick days off work; research suggests that journaling can result in a wide range of physical, cognitive and emotional benefits, including lower blood pressure, improved lung and liver function and better moods, amongst others. Writing down our innermost thoughts can help us to process them, and prevents them being bottled up if we are not comfortable to talk about them with someone.
Journals are also a great way to self reflect. When we begin to notice our behaviour and thought processes, we can understand ourselves better. I often read back through previous journal entries and reflect on how I was doing then, and how things have changed and what I have done differently now that I didn’t do then. Its not always about growth, but just becoming aware and curious abut how we behave, and understanding the effect our thought processes have on our lives.
One of my favourite things to do in my journal is write to people. Sometimes we have a lot to say to certain people, but them being able to hear or read what we say isn’t actually very helpful, but it is still imperative we have a chance to say our piece. A lot of the time, taking time before we react to someone is very useful, and by writing down what you would like to say in your journal, can prevent the need to react straight away, and often, once we have had time to think and process, we don’t feel the same need to tell that person what we are thinking. My journal has been the many people over the years and more often than not, once I’ve told my journal, I don’t feel the need to tell the person in question!
My other favourite thing to do in my journal is write about gratitude. I think this subject deserves a blog of it’s own, so I won’t go in to too much depth about this now. There are numerous psychology studies that show that gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity and build strong relationships. I mean, why wouldn’t you practise gratitude?! Most days, I will write in my journal just before I go to bed. I will write abut anything that is on my mind, or I will write to someone I want to say something to, or sometimes I even write poems. But every time, at the end, I write down three things that I am grateful for that day. Sometimes, it’s pretty non specific; “I’m grateful for my kids today.” Other times, it’s specific but quite random; “I’m grateful for that small chat and connection I had with that woman I didn’t know in the co-op today.” Or it can be something I’ve achieved; “I’m grateful for that class I taught to today.” What’s incredible, is once you start thinking about your day, and what you can find in it to be grateful for, you realise that there is in fact an awful lot. And those little things, a chat with lady in the shop, picking a bunch of flowers on a dog walk, those are the small things that bring joy to our lives, and mustn’t be over-looked.
So on that note, a fitting way to end this blog is to write about three things I’m grateful for today:
I’m grateful that I have a journal that is a very good, non-judgemental listener.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to communicate with people through my journal without them ever knowing about it.
I am grateful that you have read this blog!