Journaling Can’t REALLY Be For Everyone?! Can It?
You hear it everywhere, journaling is a great thing and everyone should do it! Then why is it that we don’t? Basically, it’s because we believe we can’t or that we won’t enjoy it.
The bottom line is if you believe journaling is not for you.. Journaling will never be something you implement into your life.
Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right!
John Sutcliffe
There is insurmountable truth in this saying. If you have made up your mind, or if you fundamentally believe something; you are right.
Therefore, if you believe that journaling is not for you, you will act in accordance to that belief. You won’t take action in your life to counter that belief, and if you do; your predestined to not enjoy it.
If you have this belief; you first need to address it. Take a moment.. dissect it, understand it, and rewire it. Ask yourself:
Why do I think this? Is there something that has happened, or I was told, that makes me think this way?
Then ask yourself is there any credibility to what happened or you were told that makes this to be fact?
Was the person telling you this speaking from a place of emotion, projecting their own insecurity’s, or emotions upon you?
Was the something that happened.. in this case that you tried journaling and you didn’t enjoy it?
I’m going to hit you with some hard truth…
Journaling isn’t always fun!
Why do people always tell you that journaling will help with: insert ANYTHING here?? Because journaling allows you to process, understand, and move past.. well, anything.
When you are facing pain, grief, confusion, frustration, you name it.. taking time to journal and reflect in it.. isn’t necessarily going to be fun.
But, this emotional reaction is your bodies way of alerting your conscious self that something has impacted your mental state; giving you notice to process it.
Our body has many natural responses to alert us of our surroundings and how they may impact us; physically or mentally. The way we get frightened, or how we flinch. Our bodies have thousands of ways of communicating to us. What we need to discover is how to listen, and understand them.
This is where journaling comes in handy.
Taking time to sit with your thoughts and make sense of them, is the single most beneficial thing you can do in your life. I swear by this.
This is why people meditate, journal, or take a moment to breath when they’re upset. Understanding your thoughts, your emotions, and even your actions; only gives you control over them.
Understanding and taking control of your thoughts allows you to live mindfully and ‘self-talk’ in such a way that encourages new beliefs you want to instill. Maybe in this case, it is journaling.
So, how do you start journaling?
With an open mind, and no expectations.
As I’ve noted, journaling wont always be fun. It might get uncomfortable or frustrating; but their are endless benefits. You just have to push through the uncomfortable times in order to reap the rewards.
Read the many benefits of journaling
Tell yourself journaling is for you and try an abundance of different methods. You can read my piece on different journaling methods, and find the one that’s right for you!
Most importantly, you need to find a realistic way to implement journaling into your life. Read implementing new habits with ease to help you with this!
Simply grab a writing utensil, and somewhere to write.
Then, go! Write about your day, what you experienced and what you felt. If you find your writing leads you to a moment with heavy emotion, maybe take some extra time and visit it, to make sense of it.
Sometimes we need to look at ourselves from the eyes of a child filled with wonder, questioning everything; trying to gain understanding… Why? Keep digging to the root of your emotions and beliefs. Then if the belief no longer services you…uproot it. Most importantly, plant something new, and water it regularly!
When we find ourselves harboring a limiting belief, we need to replace it with one that cultivates joy.”
― Laurie Buchanan, PhD
All you need to do is spend some time in thought.. with a pen in hand.
If you’re at a loss on what to write, don’t fret! There are tons of journaling methods created over the years to help give inspiration and guidance.
Find journaling prompts for inspiration here.
Before we move on, lets revisit some of the earlier points discussed. If you go into journaling believing that you wont like it, or it is not for you, you’re right! You need to first understand why it is you feel that way, and discover a way to rewire that belief; that journaling is for you.
Then, you must go in with an open mind! Tell yourself journaling is for you and try an abundance of different methods. Finally, and most importantly, find a realistic way to implement the methods you enjoy into your life.