The Top 10 Benefits of Journaling

[admin]

The Top 10 Benefits of Journaling

1. You can let your ideas and feelings flow freely, and follow them
wherever they lead you.

Because there is no editing, revising, or structure to
journaling, it is easier to put your inner critic on hold and get to
the heart of what you are thinking and feeling.

2. People write what they need to know.

You will gain surprising and valuable insights into yourself as
you journal, and again when you revisit past writings.

3. Journaling over time gives you a broader and more accurate
perspective on yourself and your journey.

It is easy to be unaware of how long you have been grappling
with a particular issue or challenge. Rereading journals from
previous months and years will afford you a time perspective and
allow you to see recurring themes.

4. There are many different ways to journal.

Experiment with journaling longhand on beautiful paper, on a
keyboard, at different times of the day, in different locations, and
for varying lengths of time. Many people find that doing "morning
pages" upon first rising, and "evening reflections" at the end of the
day are very effective and yield very different results.

5. Journaling is a safe way to express negative feelings and half-
formed thoughts until you are ready to communicate them to others in
a healthy and constructive way.

6. Journals can be burned.

If you are uncomfortable committing your innermost thoughts to
paper, journal and burn them. Although you will not get the
longitudinal benefits of rereading past writings, the journaling
process itself is still extremely valuable, and the ritual of burning
the pages can be very freeing and releasing.

7. You get to decide who you want to be, and you can change your mind
at any time.

Until you can grant yourself this personal freedom in real life,
use journaling to try on different ways of being and expressing
yourself. Write as though you are already the fearless, limitless
being you aspire to be. Remember, journaling is risk-free and
private. No one but you is affected by what you write. Your journal
will not resist change or pressure you to be who it thinks you ought
to be!

8. Journaling can enrich the coaching process.

Sending selected journaling to your coach between coaching calls
helps both of you prepare for the next call, and gives your coach
additional insights into your visions and dreams, as well as your
obstacles and blocks. Your coach can also provide you with powerful
questions to get you started.

9. Regular journaling can make the rest of your day better.

Riutalized practices, like journaling every morning or evening,
bring a rhythm to your life, and become a time for calming,
centering, and reflection. Taking this time to go inward and be with
yourself enhances your ability to be with others in a positive and
intentional way.

10. Intentional journaling can be a gift to others.

While most journaling is private, another form of journaling is
done for an intended audience. Keep a notebook or tape recorder handy
and record the thoughts you want to share with your children or
grandchildren -- stories of the funny and touching things they say
and do while they are still fresh in your mind, important family
stories you want to share, and even those of your personal thoughts
and feelings that will be meaningful to them later in their lives.

Received in email

[admin]

If anyone is interested in having an online journal, we have an Online Journal Forum on the board here http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/...splay.php?f=29 . We also have it set up so each member can have a blog of their own which they can use to journal in here http://www.cyberrecovery.net/forums/blog.php . Please feel free to create a journal and/or blog of your own here at Cyber Recovery Fellowship.

[iheartjournals]

I completely support the benefits of journaling for our well being. Besides being a great way to preserve our memories, we can learn to interpret our actions and emotions in their rawest forms. I think online journals can be beneficial, but even more so I believe the simple act of writing is the beginning. Making our thoughts tangible is the first step to understanding why and how we feel.

Writing is a natural act that I feel has depreciated with the development of technology. Try getting back to the foundation of your mind by keeping a personal journal.

-David Byers