Journaling is an amazing tool!
I like to get that sh*t off my chest and there are a few ways to do it:
* Talking to a therapist * Talking to a friend * Journaling
I was assigned journaling for homework as I pursued my master’s degree. When I first tried it I was not a fan. I have never liked writing (I blame a middle school English teacher who made me feel badly about my handwriting). But then I started loving it. I was going through a dark time in my life and I noticed that all this stuff poured out on to the page and it felt good, and it made me feel emotionally lighter. I remember being surprised when I re-read what I wrote. Since then, I have used journaling as a powerful tool in my tool box for self-healing, and nowadays I encourage all my patients to give it a try. I include journaling in my 21 day detox program, The Girlfriend Cleanse, because I want the women doing my program to detox emotionally, physically and spiritually to get rid of all the bad toxins in their bodies. Every journalist has their own style and there is no right or wrong way to do it, but for me ending every page with a few things (or people) I am truly grateful for helps me focus! Research has shown that focusing on a state of GRATITUDE can help increase:
happiness
self esteem
optimism
positive emotions
progress toward goals
pain relief
empathy
compassion
awareness
sound sleep
Intuition
So, try it, what do you have to lose? Pick up a pen and paper or turn on your keyboard and give it a whirl! Start by writing whatever comes into your mind, and do not worry about typos or sentence structure, just focus on the words and pushing out your emotions and feelings! And maybe try ending the page with something (or someone) for which you are grateful! #journaling #gratitude #selfcare #stressrelief #emotionalhealth
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