wordydog15 This week I’ve been preparing to talk to health care practitioners at a nursing event about the benefits of journaling. I wanted to share the same information here, most of which is gleaned from a wonderful book called “Writing Down Your Soul,” by Janet Conner.
Why is journaling such a valuable activity?
1. Because it works on several levels.
Writing engages several modalities at once: visual–you see what’s on the page and the events you’re writing about in your mind; auditory–you hear yourself talking to yourself in your head; and kinesthetic–you feel the pen and the paper. This makes writing very powerful!
2. Because it puts your “to-do” list in perspective.
Most guidance isn’t about doing something; it’s about shifting your thinking. Often you’re guided to do something small–just what you need or the day or the moment. That’s a good thing. The big stuff–move to Michigan, quit your job, end the relationship, go back to school, apologize to your brother, sell the house, stop fighting, sign the papers–can seem too big and too scary. If we only got big stuff on the page every day, we’d all stop writing. But the little guidance–the next piece of bread on the trail–is digestible and useful. As Rumi told God: “Nibble at me, don’t gulp me down.”
3. Because author Jack Canfield, creator of the Chicken Soup series, says so:
“Many people have their greatest success accessing intuitive information through journal writing. Take any question that you need an answer to and just start writing about it. Write down the answers to our questions as quickly as they come to you. You will be amazed at the clarity that can emerge from this process.”
4. Because it’s sort of like free therapy.
Expressing emotions lowers blood pressure, improves the immune system, improves mood, and results in overall better physical health. In one study, subjects who had experienced at least one childhood trauma that they had not disclosed were more likely to be diagnosed with virtually every major disease. Writing about negative experiences and your feelings about them activates alpha and theta brain waves and can actually rewire neural pathways.
5. Because it helps you develop a relationship with your inner voice.
This is the MOST important, life-changing benefit that comes from journaling. Accessing that quiet inner voice is like discovering the Holy Grail, or unearthing a treasure chest of valuable jewels. It’s the secret to wisdom and peace. And even if profound answers don’t flow onto the page, you can be sure that the act of “calling out” your ego and all its tricks through this physical act will allow that inner voice to come through.
