By Beata Muwema
Journaling is a process that involves writing about our feelings, experiences and thoughts about various happenings in our lives. It is a personal and intimate act that requires mindfulness as to process one’s thoughts and emotions in a manner that provides some level of clarity about life’s events.
Journaling can be a hobby but it is sometimes prescribed as a healing tool for psychological issues such as anxiety and stress among others.
Journaling is fairly easy, all one needs to journal is a notebook.
To journal effectively, one needs to date every entry one makes. Dating entries enables one to track progress made.
A few examples of ideas to journal about include;
- What you did or happened in a day.
- Plans for the day.
- Goals
- Decisions about something.
For one to clearly analyse who one is, one needs to be honest. Journal entries need to truthfully delve into reasons that have hindered one from reaching goals made previously.
While setting goals, one should consider past achievements and analyse how realistic the new plans are. This does not mean that one shouldn’t reach for the stars. What is important is to realistically consider available resources and the limitations/obstacles which one might face while striving to work towards their goals.
Journaling requires consistency. It is important for one to schedule time for journaling as part of one’s daily activities.
A journal is one’s personal space and one does not have to follow a specified structure.
According to healthline.com, journaling has various benefits. Some of the benefits include:
- Improving health.
- Helping one to process and deal with negative emotions and thoughts.
- Understanding oneself.
- Setting goals.
Journals take many forms and serve different purposes – some are creative, some are personal and some are medical. Start journaling today, the benefits have been scientifically proven.
