Benefits of Journaling

So, I found myself distraught, attempting to figure out how to deal with various issues in my life. I wasn't going through anything extreme, like death and dying, but I still needed a way to cope with my emotions, a way to make sense of them, and most importantly, a method to find solutions to my problems.

ENTER THE JOURNAL

I've been lucky enough to have an on-and-off-again relationship with journaling for 12 years. I have gone through different methods, used different types of journals, and have consistently changed the reasons why. As any good hubber will attest to, you should write what you know, or at least what you can figure out and describe to others.

I plan on writing a series of Journaling articles, including lists of prompts to get those juices going, different methods and products, to be online or offline, and others. For now, here is a simple and concise bit of information on the Benefits of Journaling.

Healthy Mind, Healthy Emotions

Numerous studies exist touting the benefits of journal or diary writing. Just google it and you'll see why medical professionals, organic heath practitioners, psychologists, clergy, and more recommend it for both therapy, release, and growth. Here are just a few of the benefits:

• Increase your clarity
• Remember concepts, thoughts, and insights of your life
• Reduce stress
• Gain focus
• Grow spiritually, emotionally, and mentally
• Heals problems, defines issues, provides solutions

Here is a quick link of some scientific stuff on why journaling is great

Work It Out

Just think of journaling as a massive brain dump. Imagine lifting all the day's weight, all the trouble and triumph, the fun and the boring, everything just unloaded off your mind and on to the page. It is not as if things will magically work themselves out, or even in a quick amount of time, but you will slowly start to see an improvement in your mind's clarity and ability to handle stress. As stated above, any and all tactics of stress relief are important, and this is just one of many tools you can place in your toolbox (horrible cliché, but I like it so much - I should journal about my cliché fetish). Here are some tips and tricks of how to get started:

• Sit and write for 10 minutes, non-stop. Use a timer. Don't self edit. Don't read it until the next day. Just purge and leave it be.
• Although "Dear Diary" sounds a little tweenish, you are writing to someone - to yourself. Treat your diary as a person, as a friend, as a confidant.
• This is an emotional release that you will enjoy.
• If at any point you hit something you don't want to, stop. Don't ever feel the need to go somewhere you're not willing, or ready for yet.

A record of Activities

Not only is journal writing good for emotional health, but it is also a simple, habitual way of recording your thoughts and activities. I've actually created a separate journal for just activities - stuff like called the dentist, skipped class, fought the law and the law one - just the minutia of daily activities, but something you may want to reference at a future date. Give these a try:

• I suggest using Evernote, MS OneNote, or some other program that is perfect for keywords, searching within the entries, and tags. That way you can type "cancelled discover card" and get the needed confirmation number with ease.
• I also carry around an index card in my back pocket. I jot whatever I need down on that, and then eventually transfer it to either my to-do list or activity journal.

Creative and Ideas Galore

You don't have to be an artist to create, nor a writer to write. Actually, some would say that just the action of writing or painting makes you a writer or painter. Anyway, use your journal to jot down those little missives and stray sketches. Get in the habit of carrying around your pad, so you never have a chance of losing it. Some people use small notebooks, full size planners, iPhones - whatever "capture" device you think is best will work just fine.

• Nothing sucks. Everything sucks. Don't worry about editing, censoring, or any other limiting action. You'll have plenty of time for that later. Just jot the little nuggets of greatness down and sort through the awesomeness later
• Pick the right pad for your style. Do you want lined, ruled, grid, draft, blank - play around a bit, and don't be afraid to switch things up whenever you need to. I've been through 8 different systems, methods, and pads in the last 10 years, and I still change it around.

How to Get Started

Don't call me a smart ass please, but to get started is really as simple as starting. Don't worry about method, device, organization, or anything - just pick up a pen, grab a notebook, and start jotting. You can also check out a great site, one that is simple and offers some neat analysis, called 750words.com. You can export any of your words later, so you aren't stuck to it.

After a few weeks, give some thought to methods of recording your words and the tools to use them. I should have an article written on that by the end of June 2010, so check back here for more ideas