The Pen is Mighty: The Case for Journaling
I have always been drawn to putting pen to paper – but if you hate writing generally, or hand-writing specifically, journaling might seem like a tough habit to pick up.
Journaling can improve your life in various ways, so hopefully this article will inspire you to give it a try and see how it impacts your life.
Old Fashioned Pen & Paper
Yes, there is an app for goal-setting, tracking feelings and moods, and probably just about everything else involved in journaling. But I want you to forego digital and grab your pen and paper.
If for no other reason, you should do this because your phone is a hornet’s nest of distractions, and your journaling sessions will be interrupted by social media, a ping or some other shiny phone-based distraction.
Separately, the physical act of writing on paper triggers your brain’s hippocampus – the part of the brain involved in memory formation – resulting in a more lasting impact on your thought process and a more meaningful engagement in the act. You will have better memory and recall of ideas and goals that you note down physically.
Getting Your Thoughts Organized
Story structures involve a beginning, middle and end. Our conscious (and most stress-inducing) thoughts are often the middle part of a story. Without taking time to reflect, we can stay stuck in that emotionally intense centre of the narrative.
Writing about a thought or feeling forces you to think of the beginning or origins of the thought – what background issue, incident, insecurity, concern, hope, fear or dream is underlying and driving the feeling or thought?
Writing allows you to then follow through on the thought. What are the future outcomes? What actions can you take? If you now understand the origins of an uncomfortable feeling – how can you change the dynamic?
With journaling, you can untangle and structure thoughts. It helps you connect phenomenon, identify root causes and plan for the future.
Making a Schedule
Like all habits, journaling will stick better if it is a regular occurrence. You could even try habit stacking, where you link journaling with other established habits.
If you want to journal in the AM, consider making a morning coffee & journal session.
If you feel best unloading the thoughts and experiences of the day before bed so intrusive thoughts aren’t keeping you awake at night, you can make journaling a pre-bed ritual.
You don’t need an hour to journal. Even 5-minutes of scribbling will help you process and reflect.
Journal Prompts
Starting writing can be the hardest part. Journal prompts inspire your journaling with specific questions or topics for reflection.
You can google “journal prompts” for tons of free resources and questions. You can search thematic or specific journal prompts – for gratitude, for goal setting, for parents, for career, for relationships, etc.
You can print off a bunch of prompts that you like, put them in a journal jar, and choose a new one each day (idea courtesy of https://daringtolivefully.com/journal-prompts).
Guided Journals
If you want to take it a step further, there are a ton of guided journals available for purchase as well. The Five-Minute Journal is appreciated by those looking for a time-efficient practice. There are faith-based guided journals, journals for working through trauma, career-focused journals and more. Having a little skin in the game in terms of purchasing a reasonably priced journal my incentivize your writing habit.
