JOYS OF JOURNALING

Many years ago, when I was a searching and fairly confused 14-year-old, I began to keep a diary. I found a large, hardback ledger book with 200 lined, blank pages, ready for my innermost thoughts. It gave me a secret place to record my experiences. Many years later I reviewed my musings. Stories of athletic strivings, complaints about friends, spiritual commitments which I vowed would last a lifetime, and—would you believe perhaps a subject with more words than any other—girls. I was not a teenage literary prodigy.

Modern science has found that journal keeping can do far more for our lives than just being a record of this event or that special occasion. We can enhance our well-being by keeping a journal of our thoughts, feelings and actions.

The most helpful diary is called a therapeutic journal. This specialized practice has been shown in numerous studies to be beneficial. The scientific work began with a New Jersey psychiatrist, Dr. Ira Progoff. He directed his patients to write extremely detailed narratives of their lives, dreams, and insights. Many were helped and the idea spread. Today, a majority of mental health professionals use journal writing to develop self-awareness and promote growth. Conditions like depression, PTSD, anxiety, adjustment disorders and others are addressed with journal therapy and the guidance of a mental health professional.

I talk to my counseling clients about the development of self-awareness as they reflect on events and, more importantly, their emotions and thought patterns. Writing often releases emotions long buried in memories. Reviewing entries across the months past can reveal patterns of behavior that are blocking progress. Insights can emerge that are life changing!

Psychologist James Pennebacker studied expressive writing. He reported evidence that writing about traumatic experiences for as little as 15-20 minutes a day can produce measurable results in physical and mental health.

Beyond a therapeutic journal, keeping a simple diary fosters enjoyment and growth. It should be more than a list of what you did on a given day. Taking the extra moment to jot down what you experienced emotionally is far more important. Getting a new job is an event; writing about your joy and who helped you gives the real story!

Here’s a simple idea: take a notebook page (or open a document) and focus on three simple areas: Event, Express, and Engage. First, tell about one event or more in simple details. Next, express your feelings, thoughts and reactions. Finally, engage in growth by applying a lesson or insight from the day that will help you. You can use the memory prompt “Event, Express and Engage.” Review this at the end of the month and you’ll be amazed at the results.

A highly recommended online journal is DayOne. It features writing, photos, videos, prompts, tags, and strong security across all devices. The ease of use and variety is a strong appeal to record the truly meaningful experiences of life-as well as the normal.

A few minutes of your time to reflect and record what your are living will bring great benefits for daily life and the future. Who knows, your family may even get a few laughs after you’re gone!

Let me know what your experience is like.

Enjoy good journaling today!