I started journaling in 2014 after listening to
Robin Sharma’s mastery sessions. Journaling has helped me in understanding
myself, having better clarity of my goals, releasing pent-up anger, expressing
my gratitude, and be more organized.
Over the years, I have become a calmer and more emotionally
stable person due to journaling. Earlier, I used to have massive mood swings
which I comprehended as normal. I never tried to understand why my mood
changed. I used to distract myself with Netflix or Social Media until my mood
changed for the better.
I write in my journal every Sunday evening. I review
the bygone week and plan the next week. I have downloaded a journal App on my
phone called ‘Presently’ where I write down the things that I am grateful for,
every single day. Apart from these rituals, I journal when I feel upset,
confused, and chaotic. From my own experience, I can say that Journaling is the
key to good mental health.
In this article, I will discuss 5 ways to journal to
feel happy, calm, and emotionally stable.
1.List of
Things That You are Grateful For
Making a list of things that you are grateful for
can make you feel so much good about your life. As I have mentioned, I have
this ritual of writing down 10 things I am grateful for.
No matter how stressful your day is, there is always
something to be grateful for. And when we feel grateful for all the things that
we have, we attract better things in our life.
2.Letter
Writing
If you are angry or upset with someone, write a
letter to them in your journal. Write everything that you want to tell them in
person. Once you have written down all those feelings, you will start feeling
better. Then, you can talk to that person depending on the equation that you
share or you can just wish them well and move on.
Often, our suppressed feelings give way to pain and
depression. So, if anyone’s behavior has hurt you, you can write a letter to
them in your journal.
3.Express
your feelings about a situation
If you find yourself in a troubling situation where
you are confused or upset, write down in your journal about your feelings about
that particular situation. As you will pour your thoughts on paper, things will
get clearer. The Divine Intelligence will guide you in understanding the best
that you can do in your situation.
4.Get
to Know Yourself
When you spend more time with yourself, you will
know yourself better. Journaling is a great way to know about your likes,
dislikes, strengths, weakness, fears, and anxieties. You can use these simple
prompts to know yourself better:
I feel the best when…..
I feel upset and angry when….
My strengths….
My weaknesses….
I worry about….
3 dreams that I want to fulfill….
5.
Review the last week
I already told about my Sunday evening ritual when I
contemplate the bygone week. Doing this exercise helps me understand how I can be
a better and more organized person.
We keep learning various things every week but
because we don’t document them, we forget those precious insights. So, it is a
great idea to review the last week on your journal and make plans for the week
ahead.
Now that you know about 5 different ways to journal,
I would like to share a few tips that will make your journaling journey a
comfortable one:
(i)Let your journal be a judgment-free zone. Do not
judge yourself by what you have written.
(ii)Do not worry about grammar and spelling. Write
freely without worrying about a spelling mistake or a typo.
(iii)Set a timer of fifteen minutes. Keep writing
till the timer buzzes.
(iv)Write every day at least for five minutes to
gain maximum benefit.
Embark on this beautiful and peaceful journey of
journaling today. You will not only have better mental health but you will
discover yourself as your best friend.