There are so many benefits of journaling; journaling has been my form of therapy session for years now. Journaling has been instrumental in my psychological, emotional and mental growth. I battled depression after my N.Y.S.C. One day I went to the mall to buy something and met this nice guy, we exchanged numbers and talked. He asked what I was doing at the moment; I told him I had just finished my service and I was searching for a job. He asked how I was coping, and I opened up to him; I told him how miserable I felt.
The dude told me to get a journal or open up my phone notes, write down ten things I am generally grateful for, “just 10, I am sure while you are writing them down you will think of more than 10, but I just need you to write down 10” he said, and when I wake up the next day the first thing I should do is open up the journal read what I have written down, meditate for 5- 10 minutes and pray.
He also said that I should write down three things I was grateful for at the end of each day after that. At first, I thought it ridiculous, but I did it anyway “what have I got to lose” I thought. I wrote down ten things I was grateful for, woke up the following day and did as I was asked, and then I realized that I was ungrateful.
Writing down those things made me realize how ungrateful I have been for a long time and how much I have taken for granted; for Christ’s sake, I have my family, friends, food, shelter, the internet, Netflix, and so on many others to be grateful for. Before then, I thought I had already made a massive mistake in my life that can’t be reversed, but when I did that, it was clear I was taking life too seriously; I had made plans for myself, forgetting God is the master planner. I learned that there is so much to be grateful for, I have things some people could only dream of, and I was still shitty.
So now I share my thoughts (they are so weird), dreams (they could make a blockbuster movie), goals, fears and so on with my journal.
I know some of you are going through something at the moment; it could be something big or something small. I urge you to get a journal and do the same; trust me, it would make you feel so much better. It worked for me; it might work for you also. Never underestimate the power of meditation; it brings you closer to your inner demons.
Benefits Of Journaling
Like I mentioned earlier, there are many benefits of journaling, but today I’d be sharing just a few.
Relieves stress
Writing down your thoughts and feelings helps free up space in your brain, which reduces anxiety and depression. This little activity decreases stress over time; it could also help track your mood. Expressing yourself in your journal is the healthiest way to vent and release the burdens. I have never really had a friend I could tell everything I feel or think, but my journal serves as that best friend.
An Accountability Partner
This could be a place to record your thoughts, ideas, aspirations, and goals. I always have these cool ideas pop up in my head once in a while, and before I had a journal, I would tell myself that I would write it down once I can but always end up forgetting them before I can pen them down. But with a journal, you can write them down immediately they pop up in your head.
By journaling about your goals or aspirations, you can keep track of your progress and be grateful for how far you have come.
The most crucial benefit of journaling, in my opinion, is that your journal tells the story of a part of you no one or few people know about. It tells your story on a very personal level, and it could be an item that could be passed from one generation to another. How cool would it be when your great-grandchild is reading something personal about you.
