What is Journaling?

May 1, 2009

A journal (or a diary) is a place to record everyday happenings and/or thoughts and feelings. It can be a tool for self-discovery, a place to brainstorm ideas, a safe space to release emotions, or an aid to help with concentration and overwhelm.

Journal writing can also be a tool for spiritual growth. As the words pour out onto the paper, it can reveal inner guidance that can help the journal writer make sense out of various scenarios and give some order to her life. It can provide awareness of patterns and offer perspective on the decisions that lie ahead. It can also help clarify beliefs and provide a safe place for self-expression.

Journal writing is a form of therapeutic writing. It’s the process of chronicling those many thoughts that are swirling around in your head – with no worries of being censored.

During times of deliberation or when you’re facing a creative block, journal writing can help. It can be a powerful way to connect with your authentic self and your core beliefs. It can also help you see the many options that will lead you to a bigger vision.

Through your journal, you can process your thoughts and hear the advice and encouragement of your wisest, most loving self. The act of writing things down makes thinking much clearer. It’s like taking all of the rambling thoughts out of the mental file and dumping them onto the page to sort out - line by line.

Writing slows down your thoughts and allows you to think more clearly and to process with more clarity. And by writing in your journal, it can help you focus your mind with laser-like accuracy. Slowing down your mind through writing enables you to clearly hear the voice of your soul.

So if you feel yourself stalling, pull out your journal and dump out the mental clutter. Don’t worry about making sense. Just dump it all out onto the page. Then sit with your jumbled thoughts for a few minutes. Read over them a couple of times.

What jumps out at you?

Ponder it for a moment. Then just write – and see where the words take you!

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