Journaling
Journaling historically has never been one of my favorite things to do. It all sounds so romantic! What a hoot, writing down what our life has been like! The very intimate secrets that one wants no one and I mean no one, to know. Personally I’d have loved to read my grandparents journals, had they been written! But then there’s the part about someone else seeing EXACTLY how we feel and think!
Vulnerable
My grandparents were raised to keep secrets, never to tell. Do we really feel safe enough for our own personal truth to be exposed? That can be very intimidating yet very freeing at the same time! Vulnerable to say the least!
However I have found myself taking pen in hand on more than one occasion and now I have a stack of journals! Am I a faithful daily writer? NO. However I do make it a habit to write when unsettling circumstances and or emotions arise.
Therapeutic
Therapeutic I must say that even with sporadic writing it does help me to notice patterns of behavior, in myself and in others. Which would have taken me much longer to notice if I hadn’t written it down. This has helped me with my children’s behavioral patterns, therefore enabling me to be a better parent. This is also a great tool, in healthy and unhealthy relationship patterns alike. One may learn to know themselves better with journaling, gaining clarity about situations This may lead to one realizing their own unhealthy patterns, enabling change, therefore reducing stress.
Expressive
Healthful One 2005 study found that the kind of “expressive writing” often connected with journaling is especially therapeutic. The study found that participants who wrote about traumatic, stressful or emotional events were significantly less likely to get sick, and were ultimately less seriously affected by trauma, than their non-journaling counterparts(1). Stress is a known trigger for many dis-eases.The more science studies stress, the more it is shown to correlate with dis-ease. This I’ve learned from experience as well.
Stress
When I get caught up in life and go too fast, refusing to take time for myself, my body revolts against my decision. Maybe I should say the lack of decision to take good care of myself. When one is under much stress, one is unable to think clearly, making decisions for self-care doesn’t even seem like an option.
Leadership
Skip Richard, believes that journaling assists in great leadership, by helping to organize and cement ideas. “Many famous people kept journals or diaries. These people came from all walks of life: business (John D. Rockefeller); military (George Patton); inventors (Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison); presidents and prime ministers (John Adams, Ronald Reagan, Winston Churchill) and many authors (Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway)”(3). There are many studies that claim that those that journal are healthier. I definitely feel healthier when keeping a journal faithfully.
Healing Heartache
“While some may consider it overanalyzing, studies have shown that ruminating on a past relationship actually speeds up emotional recovery and helps build a stronger sense of self-identity following a breakup.” Rachel Grate(1). Here Rachel is referring to journaling.
Strengthens Immunity
Many researchers believe that journaling improves our health. “University of Texas at Austin psychologist and researcher James Pennebaker contends that regular journaling strengthens immune cells, called T-lymphocytes”(2). Allowing ourselves to communicate our emotions, feelings, and gut reactions about a situation will create health. So it comes to the matter, are we paying attention to what our needs are? Are we supporting ourselves or are we stuffing our emotions and out of touch with our needs?
Upheavals
“Emotional upheavals touch every part of our lives,” Pennebaker has been quoted as saying. “You don’t just lose a job, you don’t just get divorced. These things affect all aspects of who we are — our financial situation, our relationships with others, our views of ourselves. … Writing helps us focus and organize the experience.”(2) Learning When we choose to learn from our own experiences because of what we write, it is so beautifully valuable.
Emotional Freedom Technique
Emotional freedom technique is benefited by journaling, being especially helpful identifying our triggers and wounds, enabling faster healing. When one uses modalities like journaling with Emotion freedom technique it can be a very powerful healing tool. So I feel called to highly recommend daily journaling. Especially in times where you want your healing to go as quickly as possible. After one accepts that a trauma has happened, even if the trauma isn’t recognized as such) and worked through the triggers, we have an opportunity. One in which to turn the issues around by recycling the energy. Upleveling if you will,
Upleveling
By giving the issues and stressors a different meaning. One may change the meaning of one’s story, to serve instead of hinder. Agony, one has felt for a long while may be released and recycled or upleveled into a very meaningful story. Turning the meaning of our history into the joy that brings majesty of our spirit. Recycling/upleveling the meaning of hurt, rejection, abuse, hate, war, and worry. When are they helpful? One only learns from it after releasing the stress of it? Possibly the story that we tell ourselves, is what is keeping us from a full and complete recovery.
Fear
Isn’’t it fear that keeps us repressed? The fear which keeps us from experiencing the fullness of life? I have heard and believe that fear and love are opposites. What would our lives look like without the story of fear? A different way to say the same thing is, what will our lives look like without the fear of the story? Both points of view are very valid. Recycling the energy enables us to enliven who we have been created and called to be. Loving, caring, gracious souls, free from anxiety and fear. Souls that know love is the natural response before trauma and without trauma.
May you live your life full of love and grace,
Lesley VanDeventer-Witt
Resourses:
https://www.mic.com/articles/110662/science-shows-something-surprising-about-people-who-still-journal, Rachel Grate https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-health-benefits-of-journaling/https://www.skipprichard.com/why-journaling-makes-better-leaders/ https://www.skipprichard.com/why-journaling-makes-better-leaders/
