Do you ever seem all topsy-turvy and upside down?
I have kept a journal on and off for the last thirty-five years. Journaling is one the most successful development tools, if not the most successful developmental tool, I recommend to my clients. I believe that journaling is the most effective bedrock practice you can cultivate. It has helped me become more aware of my thoughts, drivers, behaviour, and reactions. Plus, I periodically write down lessons learned and milestone moments passed so I have a reference, a record of what has happened and what worked so I can use it in the future.
Journaling has helped me do the following things: Illuminate my understanding and thoughts, get to know myself better, disentangle painful emotions and manage conflict.
So powerful is journaling that Maud Purcell, psychotherapist and founder and executive director of the Life Solution Centre of Darien, says, “Writing accesses our left hemisphere of the brain, which is analytical and rational, while our left brain is occupied. As a result, our right brain is free to do what it does best, i.e. create, intuit and feel. Hence, journaling writing removes mental blocks and allows us to use more of our brainpower to understand ourselves and the world around us better.”
Without question, journaling has been the top inspiration for everything I do. Journaling is a habit you can recommence at any time. You don’t have to journal every day, even a few times a week.
Journaling is a practical and accessible way to stay connected to your inner self, your body, your dreams and your purpose in life. Charles Duhigg
You do not need to make a massive commitment. Try it for ten days. I recommend spending five to ten minutes a day reflecting in your journal. When the ten days are up, return and review what you have absorbed and the growth you’ve made. Then you can decide if you want to continue journaling. I would also encourage you to carry your journal at all times and have it available to you during the day. Some people are very structured regarding when and where they journal. I would invite you to make sure you choose a time when you will be uninterrupted from doing your journaling. Journaling helps us deepen our connection with ourselves and expands our self-awareness to better connect with others. I have noticed in my work that when clients write down and note their thoughts and feelings and record their emotions, their growth is more sustainable and enduring.
You may find (like me) that journaling helps release some of our emotional responses to events that have happened. It is indeed an effective way of dealing with daily occurrences. In addition, this can help process and perhaps encourage you to explore more positive reframing options. So try this today and see how you get on.
Taking a few minutes to jot down your thoughts and emotions will help you get you in touch with your inner world.
Personal Nudge Notes
- My current challenge
- My current constraints
- My current resources
- How am I getting in my own way?
- emember, when you journal, bring your whole self to the process.
