Journaling, Know yourself through words
Journaling has been gaining popularity in recent years. Why does this little routine satisfy so many people as well as raise questions? A tool that allows you to clarify your ideas and the questions you may encounter in your life. Writing down allows many of you to move forward more peacefully in life. Especially during a yoga retreat. You often feel the need to rest and put down your ideas to return to your daily life. This is the perfect time to create new habits that could have a big positive impact in your life.
What is journaling? Why do we use it?
It’s about writing down our thoughts, questions, emotions and feelings every day in order to gain a better understanding of ourselves. Having a journal and speaking openly in writing allows us to release our little daily problems through words.
Everyone has their own reason for starting to write. Some people see it more clearly in the organization of their ideas, life plan while for others it allows them to put words during difficult periods such as depression, burn-out or a major life change.
Personally, I started keeping a journal during my big life change. At that time, I followed various therapies and coaching which allowed me to release emotions and understood deeply myself. I felt the need to see more clearly what I was feeling.
Later when I took refuge in Buddhism, we had a notebook that we had to fill out every day. In one sentence I had to write down my thoughts for the day. It could be: “The weather was rainy today, I felt sad and I had a conflict at work” or “The weather was nice, I felt happy and joyful”. Over the years, I was able to understand the situations that made me uncomfortable and the ones that made me happy. I learned to know myself and heal certain wounds through writing.
And you ? What is the objective of your notebook?
The journaling method
How to start?
Once you have an idea of what you want from this experience. Choose the medium that makes you most comfortable, and why not take advantage of it to develop your creativity by adding a drawing, painting, collage, etc. part. It makes me think of the journals I kept during my travels. When I took time to write, I added a small sketch, a note from the country's currency, the ticket for my flight or a flower to dry.
Try to keep your writing in one place so you can come back to it later if you feel the need.
In order to integrate a new habit, it is best to devote a short time of 5 to 10 minutes to it, then increase it over time. If you don't take enough time, you won't be able to reach your thoughts. In addition, you will see the benefits of journaling more quickly.
What to write?
The goal being to free yourself, start by describing your day, going through trivialities such as the weather, what you did and then your feelings.
If it is easy for you to write, let your mind free itself naturally by putting down on paper everything that comes to mind. Otherwise you can structure your writing by asking yourself a few questions:
How do I feel today? What's my mood?
Did I dream? What ? I like this question when I write while surveying. Sometimes my dreams have a huge impact on my day. Through writing I try to decipher them.
How was my day? Was it more positive or negative?
What could I improve to have a better day?
Last I would add gratitude. This allows you to focus your attention on something positive when you think that everything went wrong during the day. You can think about the hug your cat gave you when you came home, the meal your lover prepared for you or simply the fact of being in good health and being able to fully enjoy life without being attached to the negative moment :)
How to make it a habit?
I give you three pieces of advice:
Block a time in your day to write, preferably at the same times.
Take a moment to write without limiting yourself to a number of words.
Write freely without putting pressure on the quality of your content, this could block your creativity.
The benefits of journaling
Show off
Writing daily allows you to access self-knowledge by analyzing situations and our reactions to others. As I describe above, this allows you to analyze your days through the interactions you have with your environment, the weather, others, what hurts you and stress. Your personality is hidden behind your behavior.
Journaling can be a remarkable tool when dealing with existential questions, personal and professional change. Don't underestimate him!
Putting things in order
When we have a whole bunch of ideas, it is not easy to organize them in our head. Writing allows the mind to prioritize tasks to do, goals and life projects. A simple act that helps reduce the mental load often linked to stress.
Self-confidence
Keeping a journal is a sacred space in which we reveal our deep Being without fear of judgment. By formulating ideas in writing it allows you to be clearer with yourself. This way, you will be able to assert your ideas with confidence without fearing how others will look at you.
Journaling is a valuable tool that allows you to understand yourself deeply. For years, I have used this technique to understand myself and clarify difficult moments. As a yoga teacher and therapist, writing and describing all my sessions in great detail allows me to strengthen my self-confidence in front of the public.
Now that you have all the advice you need to start your journey, I wish you a great adventure with yourself.
Nasthasia ♡