Did You Know

Research tells us that journaling is good for your mental health. “Journaling is the act of keeping a record of your personal thoughts, feelings, insights and much more.” (webMD.com)

If you prefer technology, you can journal on your phone, computer or tablet. I prefer to put pen to paper and allow my mind to wander. For some, it isn’t easy to start writing but once you begin, it is a ritual that I do not want to leave out of my day.

Where do you begin? Start with the listing method; “Things I Like…, My Wish List…, Places I’ve visited…, etc. You can choose to begin by doing what I call a “brain dump”. This allows you to empty all of the random thoughts from your brain so you can concentrate on what is important to you.
 

The many benefits of daily journaling:
 

1. Reduce anxiety

2. Reduce obsessive thoughts

3. Create awareness: writing your feelings about a difficult situation can help you understand it better

4. It helps to regulate your emotions

5. It encourages you to open up about your feelings, acknowledge them and determine if support is needed.

6. Journaling can promote physical health. By decreasing anxiety which promotes immune health and healing.

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Points to Remember:

1. Make it a daily habit

2. Keep it simple

3. Write what feels right for you

4. A beautiful journal may inspire you

5. Get creative…use stickers, doodle, colored ink etc.

6. Journals are private if you want them to be

7. Start with a gratitude list: List 3 things that you are grateful for each day

8. Don’t set your expectations too high…It can help you learn about yourself. Disregard grammar and punctuation. This is your space to write what you want and how you want it.

 

The Power of the Pen!