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Quote of the day:

“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.”

– Henry David Thoreau

Journaling

What is it?

Journaling involves writing one's thoughts and emotions to gain a better understanding of them.

Journaling might be one of the most important self development investments we can make. Journaling is a great way to take what is in your head (which may be hard to fully understand at times) to dissect it, make space, and get to the bottom of its meaning.

When we write things down we are keeping ourselves accountable and are making progress in areas we want to learn, grow, heal, and improve.

Self-awareness is enhanced through journaling. By writing out how you feel in that moment (since we all have ups and downs) and reflecting on your thoughts and behaviors you'll become better equipped to respond to the environment around you.

Journaling also helps cultivate gratitude and positive feelings, which are essential components to create the life you desire. When we reflect on being grateful for what we have, and focus on the positive aspects of our lives, we can attract more abundance and happiness.

Journaling benefits have real scientific evidence and real-life proof of working … which I can attest to. It has helped me uncover my subconscious beliefs, remove blocks, heal childhood trauma, and find my purpose - all while helping me understand and love myself even more.

Why does it matter?

Journaling does wonders for the mind, body, and soul and can be a very eye opening experience. If you experience stress, depression, or anxiety OR if you are feeling lost / overwhelmed, maintaining a journal can be a highly effective solution. It helps regulate your emotions and enhances your overall mental well-being.

The left side of the brain is associated with logic, rationality, and analysis. When we write, we use the left hemisphere to translate our thoughts and emotions into words. Using our left side of the brain allows us to make sense of our experiences, process our emotions, and reflect on our thoughts in a structured and organized way.

The right side is associated with creativity, intuition, and emotions. Writing can also stimulate this side of the brain as we engage our emotions and imagination when describing our experiences.

Journaling is important for many reasons, a few include:

1. Reducing stress and anxiety: Writing about difficult emotions and experiences can help reduce stress and anxiety by allowing you to process and make sense of them.

2. Improving mental health: Journaling has a positive impact on mental health, reducing symptoms of depression and increasing feelings of happiness.

3. Enhancing self-awareness & personal growth: By reflecting through journaling, you become more self-aware and as a result understand yourself more, leading to personal growth and self-improvement.

4. Boosting immune function & physical health: Journaling can strengthen the body's response to stress and can have a positive impact on physical health.

5. Increasing creativity: Writing about experiences and exploring your imagination through journaling can help increase creativity and spark new ideas.

There are many ways you can journal — through writing a letter to your past or future self, writing a sentence a day, bullet points of thoughts, answering questions, gratitude, daily reflection, and manifestation.

Everyone's experience with journaling will be unique and look different but the good news is there is no wrong way to journal.

“Journal writing, when it becomes a ritual for transformation, is not only life-changing but life-expanding.” – Jen Williamson

How to connect inwards?

Here are some tips to help you connect inwards through journaling, by adding it into your routine:

1. Set aside a specific time: Choose a time of day that works best for you to add journaling into your daily routine. For me, it’s first thing in the morning when I am drinking my coffee.

2. Keep it simple: Start with just a few sentences or bullet points about your day. The goal is to build the habit, not to write a story every day. Even just one initial thought (good or bad) put it down on paper.

3. Use prompts to start: If you're not sure where to start, use prompts for example: "What excited me today?", “What stressed me out?”, “What can I not get off my mind?”, "What did I learn today?", or "What am I grateful for?"

4. Use physical paper: Write in a physical journal instead of using your phone because it engages a different part of your brain.

5. Be consistent: Try to journal every day - Consistency is key to forming a new habit.

For me, the key aspect of journaling I love is the ability to be completely truthful in a non-judgmental space. It has truly changed my life and helped me uncover limiting beliefs and undo the stories I didn’t realize I was telling myself.

This process can help you identify patterns in your thinking that may be limiting your progress and holding you back from your full potential by helping you get to the source of where the repeating thought stems from (childhood, relationships, experiences).

An example could be, if you repeatedly find yourself writing about feelings of self-doubt / insecurity, this could be a limiting belief that you feel you are not good enough. I had these exact beliefs about starting a company before I started journaling and didn’t even realize what I was subconsciously telling myself. By uncovering these beliefs, you can start to challenge them and reframe them to your benefit.

Our Spring Forward Journal is COMING SOON with listed prompts to help you get started and begin healing yourself to become the best version of YOU and live a happier, more balanced life.

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