Writing is not only for aspiring and professional authors writing in journals isn’t only for heartbroken teens as well. Writing and journaling are for everyone and there are some real health benefits linked with journaling that we are about to explore.
Writing down your thoughts on a piece of paper is very cathartic. In fact, if there is one habit that could drastically change your life, it is journaling.
Now, you might be thinking that journaling is only for those who have loads of time writing about their thoughts, and perhaps you have actually tried journaling, but it hasn’t been satisfying to you. The key is to approach journaling the right way.
Here is how to approach journaling so that it can change your life for the better.
Why is Journaling an Effective Life Tool?
As starters, let us approach the question of why journaling is such an effective life tool and why many people even the world’s top successful people swear by its power. The truth is that journaling is a fun way to look at your memories, reminisce about the good times, and drive motivation from the bad times and all the storms that you might have walked through and successfully come out at the other end of the storm.
Remember that the only thing that is constant in life is change, and when you stick to journaling, you can actually keep track of all the changes that happened in your life so that you can see how far you have come with a sense of pride. It is amazing to see the progression in life with the help of your journal.
Use Journaling to Take Control of Your Mind
Another reason journaling and writing are such effective tools, even more powerful than the previous reason, is that journaling can help you take control of your mind and thoughts. Have you ever been angry to the point of wanting to leash out on someone but instead of lashing out, you went the extra mile and wrote down all your thoughts on a piece of paper, with the result of feeling instantly better?
If yes, then you are already familiar with how journaling can help you take control of your thoughts and healthily channel your inner thoughts. Instead of letting your stress, worry, and anxiety take control of your life, you will take control and write everything that you are feeling. By writing down the things, you cut through the fear and anxiety that the mind is generating, and once you have everything down on paper, you won’t give a second thought to the thoughts you had.
The more you write about your thoughts and feelings, the more detached you feel. Instead of identifying with the negative thoughts and feelings, you will start to feel better.
Use Journaling as a Way to Change Your Perspective
Another reason to start journaling right now, if you aren’t already doing it, is that journaling will completely change your perspective and approach to life. The outcomes and potential results that you get from life are broadly linked with the consistent actions that you take in life.
For instance, if you want to be a writer and publish your book this year, then the worst thing you can do is brood over what you want to daydream about instead of putting action. Of course, consistent action is required if you want to reach your goal and you want to succeed and become a writer, which includes writing a certain number of words every day, completing your first draft, editing the first draft as much as needed, writing a query letter to several literary agents who might be interested in your genre, etc.
Speaking of literary agents, if you live in Massachusetts, you will want to get in touch with the literary agents in Boston, Massachusetts; however, make sure to thoroughly read their submission guidelines so that you approach them the right way. Many literary agents share the same criteria for sending the query letter, which comprises an amazing summary along with the query letter however some literary agents might also demand the first three chapters, which is why you will want to thoroughly check the submission guidelines before approaching the literary agents.
Nonetheless, you get the point if you want to be successful at anything, you will want to remain consistent with your actions. At this point, you might wonder what impacts your actions, and the answer to this is that your decisions have an instant impact on your actions.
Initially, before taking any action, such as writing a set number of words every day or hitting the gym every day, you will think about what decisions to take, and the subsequent decisions will dictate your actions, and your actions will generate results.
Several factors govern your decisions, such as the story you tell yourself, your beliefs, values, and feelings.
Journaling is a way to clear your thoughts and feelings. In other words, it is the literal process of writing down your thoughts and feelings. After you have written down your thoughts and feelings, you can interrogate them and ask yourself questions regarding their validity.
Journaling can help you clarify your stories, beliefs, thoughts, and feelings at any given moment.
The Key to Starting Journaling
Now that you know all the potential benefits of journaling, you might wonder how you can start if you have never done it before. The most basic level of journaling involves writing down all the things you have completed today.
At the end of each day, ask yourself what was the most story-worthy thing that happened to you today. If you cannot think of much, you might as well jot down the highlight of the day. Once you get into the flow of taking notes and writing in your journal, you will find that there are more story-worthy moments than you would actually believe existed.
Soon, you will start to see small and essentially unexpected moments of beauty. In your journal, you can also talk about what you learned that day and about your new experiences.