āWords spoken are left in the Air, Words written are always Thereā.
Ā Journaling has been part of my life since the age of 13 and like any teenager I had habit of writing down the things about my likings and disliking, choosing my favorite comics, pictures and some scribbling some odd things. I encased the precious creation in it, preserving it forevermore: My Diary.
Needless to say itās an extremely embarrassing collection of teenage angst, weird bits and pieces like lists of potential names of some I didnāt and still donāt want; pages of dialogue between myself and other people with in-depth analysis of these conversations beyond anything reasonable; and daydreaming about the life I wished I had or complaining about the life I did have.
The journals since then have gone through phases. Phases where I wrote every day, or just once every few months. Where I was obsessed with recording quotes or where I collected everything from movie starsā stickers to pictures. There are endless lists, ways to improve myself, deep sadness, furious anger, joyful enthusiasm, intemperate hope, and ponderings on love during many a loving or loveless encounter.
In the journal I do not just express myself more openly than I could to any person; I create myself. The journal is a vehicle for my sense of selfhood. It represents me as emotionally and spiritually independent. Therefore, it does not simply record my actual, daily life but ratherāin many casesāoffers an alternative to it.
These days I have Gratitude journal, and not give so much weight to the negative and the worrying. Remembering what we are grateful for is supposed to give us perspective on the difficult phase in life.
Writing when going through hard times is actually what helps me get through it. Itās what makes journaling so incredibly powerful.
Reasons why journaling is effective:
- Journaling is the act of processing the past, current and sometimes future
For many of us, talking and writing isnāt about performance or the telling of somethingāitās actually the processing. Getting it outside of yourself can give it a new shape.
- Feelings and experiences become less overwhelming
Writing out your thoughts in a permanent place has been shown to have a powerful effect on your mind. It’s as though your mind relaxes about the thoughts because they’re on paper. So if thoughts are overwhelming, writing them down more helps with some relief.
- Reading back helps reveal patterns
Go back and investigate and then spend some time reflecting on what keeps you Ā Ā stuck if you notice patterns
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Fill your paper with breathings of your heartā¦
Much Love
RK
Ā