When you hear the two words “dear diary”, does it conjure up images of teenagers doodling hearts and writing about their latest crushes in a book that comes with a lock and key? Or perhaps you think of Oprah Winfrey who got us all gratitude journaling in the 1990's and has said many times over the years that she made her BFF Gayle King promise that in the event of Oprah’s untimely death, Gayle will immediately destroy all of Lady O’s diaries before they can fall into the wrong hands. It turns out that diaries are good for everyone, not just teenagers and famous talk show hosts. A recently released study supports the idea that there are many benefits of journaling to both our physical and mental health. This is such an important topic that I even had to take a few classes on journaling when I was studying to become a Certified Health Coach!If you are interesting in reducing your stress, clarifying your thoughts and feelings, resolving conflicts, solving problems more effectively and getting to know yourself better, then you are going to want to jump on the journaling bandwagon.
If you are new to the process, there are many ways to get started. You can go “old school” and put pen to paper in a leather-bound journal or do it like the millennials and use the “notes” app on your iPhone to record your thoughts. Your journals can use the bullet approach or they can look more like scrapbooks. They can be in black and white or filled with different colored inks and fonts. It matters less what they look like and more that they truly represent you and your inner thoughts.
You may find my personal approach to journaling interesting...I use an index card file. I wanted so badly to record all the precious things my sons said when they were little, but I needed a quick and easy way to do so. I named my first card file box “Kids Say The Darndest Things” and added a new card to the box every time something special happened.Reading these cards over the years has brought back so many lovely memories. Something that cost me so little in time and money has brought me so much comfort and joy. I truly treasure my index card journals!
Whatever way you decide to record your thoughts, be it a brain dump or well thought out prose, knowthat the mere act of writing will help you to relax, be more present in your life, live mindfully and improve your memory. You will be preserving your family’s memories and beating the blues at the same time! I can’t think of anything else that is so good for your health and also helps function as your own personal Office of Archives and History.
So I encourage you to make some time each day for journaling. It can be a minute or an hour or something in between. Just start writing (or typing) and see what flows. Read it back today, or wait until a future date to look at what the voice inside your head is saying.
Experts estimate that on average we have 70,000 thoughts per day. That is a shocking amount, isn’t it? If you are perseverating on something that is bothering you, that translates to literally tens of thousands of negative and worrisome thoughts whirling through your mind each day. It is easy to see how this can have a negative impact on your health.
The same feeling of release that you get when you “spill your guts” to a trusted confidant will be the end result of spilling your thoughts on the pages of your journal. Do it in the morning to set your intention for the day or write in the evenings to lock down your memories. Journal to keep track of your progress and growth or create diary entries that are all about gratitude. Whatever drives you to write, start with one sentence and the others will follow.
Oscar Wilde once wrote “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train.”While you may not consider your journal entries “sensational”, your future self will be so grateful that you took the time today to pour out your mind and heart in words that could very well be treasured for years to come.