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Journaling, according to The Free Dictionary, means to keep a personal record of occurrences, experiences, and reflections on a regular basis.
Journal themes
Possible themes for journaling include dreams, anything you're grateful for, and daily feelings, experiences and thoughts.
Dreams can give us a peek into our unconscious mind.
This glimpse is possible if we record them (while we still can), and reflect on them. Kelly Bulkeley states that a dream journal is “an invaluable source of insight into your most important concerns, activities, and relationships in the waking world.” While I prefer the traditional pen to paper, Bulkeley gives some 21st-century ways to record your dreams.
There are many things to be grateful for:
• people and relationships
• feelings or states (peace, joy, freedom, happiness)
• promotion
• being alive
Positive thinking has benefits. According to Mayo Clinic, some advantages of positive thinking include lower depression rates, better coping skills when dealing with hardships and stress, and better psychological and physical well-being.
Writing down your daily feelings and thoughts can help you form a clearer picture of your core beliefs and values.
You may realize that you're insightful and open-minded, or that you're anxious and quick to assume the worst. Most likely, the enlightenment this practice gives you will be a mixture of negative and positive discovery. However, it's possible to put a positive spin on the negative findings. They help you to measure your growth in specific areas.
"All children are born to grow, to develop, to live, to love, and to articulate their needs and feelings for their self-protection." - Alice Miller
3 Ways Journaling Measures Growth
Self-expression.
We all need to express how we feel to others. It's even more crucial to convey those needs to ourselves. How can you assertively speak up about your boundaries, feelings, needs, and wants if you're unaware of what they are?
We must dig beneath the surface and express our innermost thoughts and feelings. If we can't be vulnerable with ourselves, then who? If your confrontation style isn't assertive, writing can teach you how to confidently, yet compassionately speak your truth.
The ability to reflect.
When you express your thoughts, feelings, dreams, and gratitude, you can see your progress over time. Journaling helps you to recognize where you have grown and healed. Additionally, it alerts you to the work you still have left to do.
"Today's meditation period taught me about myself a little more. I am too curious about what people's opinions of me are. Also, I hold grudges for far too long. I still have things to work on, but I accept myself for who I am. I'm learning to adapt to certain situations while still maintaining my practices. I'm healing, growing, and becoming." - Journal entry
You will begin to uncover:
• weaknesses,
• triggers,
• trauma,
• negative thought patterns and assumptions,
• toxic relationships,
• worries,
• fears,
• doubts,
• low self-esteem,
• lack of discipline,
• an underlying desire to fit in or please people,
• and more!
What’s the source of these negative things? Are you giving them too much power or are you using your awareness to combat them? Having your feelings, beliefs, assumptions, and perspective expressed on paper makes you more aware of what they are. This clarity and awareness is the first step of growth.
How can you change something if you aren't even conscious of it?
Journaling allows you to take measurable steps toward a goal, visualize the growth and experience the positive effects of it.
"As I reflect on this past week, I've been much more centered, relaxed, joyful, and productive. I'm learning balance as well as discipline. I met almost all of my self-care goals daily, except for exercise. I'll work harder to incorporate it into my schedule next week. Starting my day off with meditation and journaling puts me in such a peaceful state for the rest of the day. Overall, I'm already seeing progress in my emotional and mental states. I'm living in the present moment, and looking forward to what the future has in store." - Journal entry
Here are some measurable steps you can take to progress on your journey of self-awareness, self-love, healing, and growth:
• Getting more hours of exercise after realizing that you aren’t active enough
• Paying down credit card debt and only making cash/debit purchases once you acknowledge your shopping problem
• Replacing every negative thought that you're aware of with three positive affirmations
• Having more sober days when you accept that you depend on a substance or multiple substances
• Spending quality time with your trusted loved ones after concluding that you isolate yourself from people who care
Journaling has been a practice of mine for over a decade now. This method of self-expression has turned into a love for writing poetry, blog posts, and my new book. Try a week of writing down five things you are grateful for daily, and notice how your mood improves. When we focus on the positive, our gratefulness puts us in a position to attract more material blessings.
Hello! Are you a person who keeps a Journal? Is there anything you'd like to contribute? We love to receive your thoughts on this article! Please feel free to comment below. Thank you in advance for sharing.
About the Author: Gabrielle Harrington, Founder and CEO of HeadHeartS0ul
Gabrielle Harrington is a blogger, author, and mental health advocate. Through her book, blog, and social media posts, she provides a realistic approach to personal development, healing from trauma, and building mutually beneficial relationships with others. Although she's still deep within her own healing journey, her mission is to help people reach healing and wholeness for themselves. Her words touch s0uls.
For information on the author click on the following link: Gabrielle Harrington.
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