10 minutos.
Blog Roble
The timeless power of journaling
We have all been the victim of a nasty habit that freezes us in our tracks: Overthinking. It can lead to anxiety, which can lead to loneliness and depression. But how can we pace our often overly accelerated mind?
You might think you don’t need to write down our life experiences but regretfully you are wrong. Everyone, yes EVERYONE can reap the benefits of keeping a journal.
As a writer I often get asked how I manage to put down my thoughts and ideas onto paper. I’ve noticed that most people believe writing is a far-away art form, reserved specifically for the “true” writers of this world. Nothing could be further from the truth. You see, writing is a right (and it’s practically free); and the science behind journaling one’s thoughts has proven to yield impressive results like stress reduction, depression management, sharper memory and even improved immune functions.
To understand why writing is so vital to the average person we must first understand a little bit more about the brain. Thoughts are hard to track, control, plan and most importantly they’re hard to grasp. Thought’s seem to think of themselves and oftentimes lead us to complicated emotions- to feel a certain way about the life we’re living. The human brain is not designed to tell us the truth about our lives, instead it is designed to pick a narrative however wrong it may be, and weave it into our life so we can continue with our daily tasks. This constant weaving is what builds our sense of worth, self esteem and general outlook on life and it’s roller coaster-like events. The weaving never takes a break because we are always feeding it new strings to be incorporated immediately.
Journaling is a great way to help us see our thoughts on a physical plane. This makes them harder to shapeshift, transform and misinform our susceptible brains. Make no mistake, journaling is not as easy as one would think. Which is why I’ve compiled a list of tips to get you started on your journey of self-awareness.
Fire your drill sergeant. You know, the voice in your head that yells at you a bunch of contradicting orders. Fire him, silence him, your journaling time is a judgement free space.
Your journal is YOURS. This sounds obvious but many times we write as if someone will eventually read it and judge our thoughts and feelings
Place your phone face down far away from your safe writing space.
Ditch the guilt about not being consistent or not writing perfect ideas.
Don’t preoccupy yourself with perfect grammar and syntax. Just write without censoring yourself.
If you don’t know what to write, turn to a quick body scan, writing down your current state (any pains or parts of your body that have healed).
When all else fails, turn to gratitude and make a list of the things you’re thankful for being, having, owning or feeling.
Set a minimum time for writing, start with 5 minutes and make sure you don’t stop before then. In time you will find yourself flowing more freely.
Create for yourself a closing ritual that can help you transition to the rest of your day (this could be reading an old entry and meditating on your growth or closing your eyes and breathing for a couple of minutes). s.
Don’t be afraid to contradict yourself. Your journal is a place where you can go and come back, be wrong and right, closed minded or free. No thought is off limits!.
