Benefits of Emotional Journal Writing
Emotional journal writing, writing about what you feel, is like taking a path towards self-discovery.
It makes sense out of our everyday lives and organizes our complex lives in many meaningful ways.
It helps resolve traumas that inhibit people from doing certain tasks. The writing helps them face the significant turning points of their lives.
It is a gentle way of looking at the past and finding inspiration to move forward.
Writing becomes an outlet for letting go of bottled up emotions. If you feel angry at someone, if you feel upset, or if you are extremely happy and excited, write it down. Release those thoughts and feelings and it is almost guaranteed you will feel a lot lighter.
Emotional journal writing is a great tool for reducing stress. Writing gives you the power to express yourself freely and, by doing so, you gain a sense of relief and clarity. Once you’ve gotten into the habit of journal writing, you will grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Getting a Broader Picture
Writing about your problems or misunderstandings with other people will help you look at other points of view.
You get to reflect on your thoughts and actions, helping you reach a solution to your problems.
Writing helps to define the issues, helps you identify the solution, and helps you find healing.
Since your journal captures all your reflections, you will eventually get a better picture of who you are and who you want to be.
Reading your previous entries is like reading your life story.
Understanding your past will equip you for living your present and looking into the future with a positive attitude.
You can then create your personal goals and find ways to achieve them.
By understanding yourself you understand the people around you as well. You get to discover who your real friends are and what type of people you should surround yourself with. Your journal will motivate you into becoming your best possible self. It is like a mirror that helps you see who you are and what needs to be changed.
Tips for Emotional Journal Writing
Here are some tips for those planning to start emotional journal writing:
Find a special spot or corner to serve as your personal space. The space should be clean, neat, and of course, comfortable.
Before writing, allow yourself to relax and to reflect. Go over your thoughts and feelings. What did you do today? How did it make you feel? What important lessons did you learn?
These are just some of the questions you could answer. You may even play soothing music while you write.
When ready, start writing. Do not be too critical about how you write – no one will be judging you. Treat your journal as a friend and confidant.
Process of Journal Writing
There are no rules to journal writing. The only thing that is required is tearing down those emotional walls and allowing yourself to discover your true self.
As a rule of thumb, if you choose to write in a journal, you are basically writing a written record of your day-to-day activities or your daily regime. While it should not be written like a schedule or a calendar, you may consider infusing a bit of fodder through stories within your journal postings. For example, if you are describing an event that took place in your day, you would want to centralize it around something that can be amusing or eye opening.
Journal writing is different from writing on a diary. The difference lies in purpose and technique.
With a journal, the focus is inward, while with the diary the focus can be outward.
A journal records much deeper and more reflective thoughts and musings, while the diary is a mere catalog and list of everyday events and activities.
If in a diary you mention that you went for a walk in the park, in your journal you write about how happy and peaceful you felt while walking alone in the park.
Journal writing is a creative way of capturing ideas, stories, and emotions that all define who we are and gives emphasis on our values, wisdom and purpose in life. The simple act of emotional journal writing can produce wonderful effects – it can even change lives for the better.
