A Voyage to Self-Discovery

Journalling can be cathartic. It allows you to wordlessly express yourself, relieve pent-up emotions, and discover your true feelings.

Having a journal can be really life-enhancing. Whether you are at a crossroads in life, trying to make a decision, or wanting to know your inner self better—journalling is a tool that can help set you free.

Having an extra journal to record not only your thoughts and feelings in but what you did and when can be great to look back on with your family in the years ahead, too. You can paste in items like theatre tickets and hard-copy photos to bring a visual to your memories.

I like paper. The simple act of pen to paper brings a release that can’t be gotten with the keyboard. If you prefer the keyboard that’s fine, just make sure your doc is secure. It’s horses for courses.

Journalling doesn’t have to take a lot of time. You can start with just five minutes a day. And it’s cheaper than therapy! If you are writing down stuff you don’t want anyone to see—burn the pages! That act can be very satisfying, too.

Journalling is an act of self-care that allows you to explore your inner world. Sometimes you don’t really know how you feel about something until you start putting pen to paper. The pen can at times take on a life of its own.

The Benefits of Regular Journaling

Here are some of the benefits:

• It is an act of self-care—you are making time to work through your thoughts and feelings
• It is a type of therapy where you are exploring your inner world
• All that you need is a pen and paper
• Pages can be burnt if you don’t want them read by others
• A notepad will do, or any blank paper if you are destroying it. If it is something you would like to keep you can get gorgeous bound journals online (try eBay or Etsy), or bookshops and stationery suppliers.
• Gives space for the thousands of thoughts that are racing around in your mind
• Many thoughts are repetitive. Journalling allows us to see what thoughts keep popping up so that we can act on them or process them
• You are being self-honest as you journal, which can bring an amazing inner calm
• Can increase your resilience and lower depression and anxiety
• You can write reflectively about childhood memories or just write about whatever is on your mind at the moment
• Writing reflectively can bring up pleasant memories
• You can write about positive and or negative experiences
• Helps you to problem-solve
• A safe space where we can unleash our feelings and process them without being judged

Bonus Benefits of Journaling

A gratitude journal promotes positive thinking. As you start being grateful for things in your life, you will look and find more things to be grateful for.

Choosing a beautiful notebook and writing down three things you are grateful for each day works wonders.

You don’t need to edit your journal. Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors are okay. This is generally for your eyes only.

You can start journalling at any time. Even a few minutes a day will bring you benefits. Journalling can help you brainstorm and get in touch with your feelings in a safe space.

What is your experience with journaling? Are you keen to start?