This is not a comprehensive list by any means. There are many benefits of writing in a journal. Journaling and the act of writing something down, things that are bothering you, or causing you worry or stress, and especially things you are grateful for, is an incredibly rewarding process.
Journaling is a cathartic way of shedding that extra weight from that moment earlier in your day that upset you, or a future deadline that results in sleepless nights. We all have those moments. But, these moments don’t have to last weeks or month. They should last moments. Moments that teach us a lesson and help us grow.
Benefits of writing in a journal
Journaling helps us focus on what we need to accomplish. Writing things down in methodical ways helps to clarify goals–when you have to put pen to paper and structure a sentence, you need to focus on what you actually want to accomplish. Seeing this goal written out instead of floating around in your head holds us accountable.
Writing also helps control our emotions. When we write, if we focus our energy on the paper in front of us, often the emotion that drove you to write fades along the paper. This process also helps you cope with your feelings and cause of them at a deeper level.
Writing also helps develop a sense of gratitude. As we write, we focus on the emotions and the events of the day and no matter what the situation was, writing helps us focus on the lesson we could learn from the day or the event.
When life gets us down
I remember when I was younger, criticising myself about some poor grade I received on an exam. I would dwell on this for the whole day–ruining my day, my conversations with my friends, and distracting me during sports training. Those were precious moments I will never get back because I couldn’t see past the grade on an exam. I didn’t want to look at my mistakes, which meant I wouldn’t learn how to improve for the next time. Instead, I let my emotions get the best of me, leaving me in a sour mood with a lot of wasted moments.
Obviously, as an adult, there are more important things than an exam grade that could stress us out. Getting a PhD is no walk in the park! Being on the other side of the world to my family is no picnic.
Over the years, I have learned to cope with the stressors and the upsets as well as the excitements that life throws my way. It isn’t as difficult as it may seem. However, having a bit of guidance can make all the difference in the world.
How I cope with stress
Have a Strong Support System
Having a support system is crucial. If you don’t have someone to lean on when times are challenging, it can be isolating and seemingly impossible to climb the mountain in front of you. When you have a support system–that mountain quickly shrinks to the size of an anthill. This ant hill seems much easier to traverse, knowing you have the support of loved ones if you fall. For me, this is my family, even though they are on the other side of the world because I can always count on a good story that will make me laugh. But, hands down, Gus has been the biggest and most crucial support system I have in Australia. The best part is that I also benefit from the support of his family, the stories, laughs, and home-cooked meals we all get to share!
The reason–it reminds me that I am wanted and loved. Knowing both things gives us more confidence that you may realise. Because when you feel loved, you also know that those loved ones will lift you up higher than you could attempt on your own!
Read the Bible/ Pray
Reading the Bible gives you a feeling of calm and unimaginable love as God shows his love for us in both the old and new testaments. Stopping for a few minutes each day to give thanks for your life, even the struggles, is so powerful. It is humbling and gives your mind a sense of peace that, while you might face pain, fear, and stress, these are also moments to grow, learn, and flourish. Overcoming these challenges is rewarding. Knowing you are not overcoming them alone is even better. So, stop and show gratitude for your struggles and your triumphs.
Keep a Journal
There are many benefits of writing in a journal. Having a focused journal is also important. For me, journals are crucial. I think I have about 6 lying around the house at all times. However, my thoughts and many topics scattered the pages of the journals; nothing seemed particularly focused. Early this year, I was struggling with some of my health issues and I felt so overwhelmed by not being able to stick to a schedule to journal, to call home, to exercise, or to keep track of my nutrition intake. This left me feeling as if I was caught in the middle of a tornado. Part of this is because of the many projects that ramped up for my PhD. It seemed like everything hit me at once. So I started writing in a journal. But not just any journal, MY journal. One that I made for myself to keep me focused and to help me get back on track with my health and fitness goals.
After a week, I noticed I was not really taking care of my body, physically or mentally. So I created this journal that helped me hold myself accountable. I could track my food, water intake, exercise, and even emotions during the day. The most important part was having a section for gratitude during the day (sometimes this section was the most challenging).
My Health and Wellness Journal
I wanted to remind myself about the nutrition my body not only needs but also the nutrition my body deserves! So, each day, I chose to focus on a key area of my health. I did this is a critical way instead of emotional. I also wanted to tune in more to what my body needs to stay healthy and to thrive through the day! After a few weeks, these tasks easily became habits, and I felt so much better, so much more in control, and able to succeed instead of just struggle along the path.
I wanted to look at the facts and not just discourage myself with harmful self talk. That type of thinking does not really help anyone–it negatively affects the way you view yourself and creates a toxic aura around you that keeps others at a distant which means your support system is affected. I made sure to leave sections for myself to journal about my emotions (everyone has them, it’s okay). The important thing is to make sure you do not allow your emotions to control every single aspect of your life. There are many benefits of writing in a journal, one major benefit is having a healthy outlet for your emotions.
Remember
You are not always in control of situations. You ARE in control of how you react to them and knowing that is so powerful.
Do you ever feel like sometimes you need to keep your emotions and health on tract? Me too. Go check out my Health and Wellness Journal today! No matter where you are in your health journey, this journal will help you tune in to what your body needs, what your body is lacking, and how to correct those imbalances! Don’t worry. You won’t have to face a blank journal. The journal has prompts, keeping you on track for each day!
Let me know what you think–Happy Journaling!
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