Health and healing is more than just what you eat and how you exercise. Healing is a mindset shift and that can come from gratitude and journaling. Inside this post, you’ll learn the healing powers of journaling.
I remember reading books as a little girl, hearing stories about kids who kept journals. I never really understood it – definitely not something that fit into my personality. Not because I was necessarily out of touch with my emotions, but the act of writing seemed so daunting.
Let’s say, writing was never a skill of mine, and it certainly wasn’t one I had intentions of using.
Funny how the tables have turned.
Now, I’m more passionate about journaling than ever. In fact, I have come to rely on it daily as a form of health. Today, I want to share just why journaling is one of the best tools in healing, in health, and how to get started.
Inside today’s podcast, I share the healing benefits of journaling, why its crucial to everyday life, and how to get started.
motivation
Next, to gratitude, the act of writing words on physical paper is one of the most healing things we can do. It allows our thoughts, those stories we tell ourselves to come out of our mind and distinguish the value of them. Either using them for good or getting rid of the bad.
Generally speaking, our thoughts exist in the right side of our brain, which is the imaginary, artistic side. It’s the best place to create stories which means it’s also a place for them to run wild.
The physical act of writing takes these thoughts and moves them through our left sided brain and onto paper. The left-sided brain is our logical brain, which helps to distinguish the value of the story or the thought. If you go back and listen to this podcast on the stories we tell ourselves – you can start to understand just how critical this is.
Not to mention, writing helps to bring thoughts to life. To uncover, release, and free our minds from the weight of the stories, ideas, pains, and traumas we’ve suppressed.
As they say, we repeat what we don’t repair. Writing could be that bridge to repair as it’s a non-threatening, nonjudgemental space to let your thoughts be freed.
health benefits
Aside from the drastic improvement of your mood and emotional well-being, writing out your thoughts and feelings consistently can benefit your physical health as well. Journaling increases your chance of fighting specific diseases like asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS, and cancer. It can even help physical wounds heal faster.
Here is a small list of how journaling can help your physical body:
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- Manage anxiety
- Reduce stress
- Cope with depression
- Prioritize problems, fears, and concerns
- Track symptoms and learning triggers
- Create positive self-talk and identifying negative thoughts
- Boost your mood
- Enhance your sense of well-being
- Improve your working memory
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Journaling is an aspect of a healthy lifestyle. While it’s not something that is going to heal you fully – it can be a safe place to start gathering your thoughts and open doors. It’s something we should use not only in healing but in maintenance as its one of the best ways to stay tapped into your inner self – your true self.
There’s simply no better way to learn about your thought processes than to write them down.
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action plan
Today’s action plan is to buy a journal or grab a notebook and commit to journaling for 5 minutes a day.
It doesn’t have to be structured, and you don’t have a plan. Start by sitting down and just writing anything and everything that comes to mind. The more you do it, the more it will evolve into a system that works for you.
My plan looks different daily. Sometimes I need to let out past emotions I feel are brewing, many days I write out prayers and thanksgiving, and sometimes it’s a list I need cleared from my head. Do you. Whatever that is and don’t be afraid to go deep.
resources
Here are a few of my favorite journaling essentials and journal prompts in case you need help moving through this space.
- My favorite everyday journals.
- My favorite pens.
- 5-Year Journal
- The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day
- The Secret Life of Pronouns – What our Words Say about Us
- Writing to Heal: A guided journal for recovering from trauma and emotional upheaval.
- Write it Down, Let it Go: A Worry Relief Journal
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If you have some feedback to share or an exciting shout out on your journey, leave a note in the comments below. I would love to know your reactions to the show and how you’re taking steps in owning your own story.
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