4 Reasons Why You Should Journal
Journaling has become a staple in my life. When I need to let out my emotions, think things through or jot down ideas, I grab a cup of tea/coffee or a glass of wine, and take pen to paper. When I was younger, I would keep diaries, but my evil little brothers would find them and read them. So I stopped writing for a few years. After high school, I joined a church internship that stressed the importance of journaling while studying the Bible. We used a method called SOAP to organize our notes.
Picture: @Lighuptheworldd
- S - Scripture
- O - Observation
- A - Application
- P - Prayer
So for the next few years, I only journaled about Biblical things. But recently, I'v decided to revisit my love for writing and see if it could grow into something more. I love bloging, but my writing skills could be applied to many other things.
I highly recommend journaling, here are 4 reasons why:
1. Self Reflection
“Journaling is a form of self reflection and meditation”
Journaling is a form of self-reflection. I find it calming and peaceful to write down my bottled up feelings. It's also therapeutic to paint, doodle or just be creative on a black white paper. Taking time to process your thoughts is an essential part of self-care. Personally, I don't trust my emotions so when I write things down and process it, I can better approach a situation.
2. Creative outlet
For those who love poetry, song writing or spoken word, writing is a great way let out your creativity. But you don't have to be a poet or writer to be creative, once you start writing, it will take a course of it's own and you will surprise yourself.
3. Document your experiences
“Evaluate your own experience”
I had the opportunity to be a part of a training by Greg Robinson, the past director of The John Main Center for Meditation and Inter-religious Dialogue at George Town University. He is a strong advocate for journaling and meditation and he showed us an excel spreadsheet that documented the year, and his location when he started each Journal. He said, "Write about yourself because you are important". He spoke about honoring and celebrating yourself through journaling because, in it, you are the main character. I loved his idea of spending time measuring, studying and analyzing yourself because we are important too. Of course, don't get carried away and become narcissistic, but take the time to look at how much you've grown.
Picture: @Lightuptheworldd
4. Helps you remember
I have really bad memory, so once in a while I like to go back and read about my experiences. I usually feel very thankful for all the things God has gotten me through over the years.
I want you guys to share my love for writing too, and the first step is to get a journal to place all your precious thoughts and ideas. So check out my Etsy shop and grab an orig1nal journal.
