I recently got into journaling this past year after going through a hard time. It seemed like my whole life was stuck, so I spent hours searching online for some perfect remedy to take me from hating waking up in the morning to loving life again, but I couldn’t seem to find one.
I found that there was no perfect remedy to immediately change my emotional state. Rather, it took time and incorporating change into my life to notice any significant change. I watched many videos where people recommended journaling, claiming that it changed their lives. I was willing to do anything that might make me feel even slightly better, so I began journaling. Here are three ways it’s helped me grow:
- Writing Down Thoughts and Feelings
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My end goal when I started journaling, was to find happiness within myself by doing inner work, but I had no idea where to start. I had just gone through a breakup and was so lost and hurt, I didn’t even know who I was anymore. I began by just simply writing down my feelings every night.
Having time each day to focus solely on my own emotions and reflect on the root of them was very beneficial for my mental health. Each night before I went to bed, I’d do this rather than scrolling on my phone, and I think it helped me a lot.Â
- Outlining Goals
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Journaling doesn’t only have to be about writing down emotions, it can be used for so many more things! I began writing down my short-term and long-term goals, as well. At the time, I was so unproductive and could never find motivation for anything, not even to get out of bed. Slowly over time, the goals I had written down weren’t goals anymore, but my reality.
Writing down and journaling about my future and goals was so helpful for me because it mentally pushed me to work towards them. Writing them down made it feel realistic and achievable, and once I believed in myself, I was able to work towards these goals.
- Rereading and Reflecting
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Journaling might not be the perfect remedy or cure for feeling better, but for me, it completely changed my life. One of my favorite things to do is reread old entries and marvel at how far I’ve come and how much I’ve grown as a person.
When I look back at my old entries dated to last fall it’s hard to believe that was once me. Not only has my emotional state changed so much since last year, but I as a person have changed entirely. I’ve become so much more independent, happier, and open-minded. This time last year was genuinely what I consider to be the lowest mental point I’ve had in my life. Now when I look back at the old entries, I can’t believe I ever let the actions of others take such a huge toll on me mentally.
So, was journaling the habit that magically fixed me? No. There were so many other factors that helped me during this time. However, journaling for me was a catalyst in my journey of self-growth and self-love. I’ll never stop recommending it to friends and sharing my experience with it because it has helped me grow into who I am today!Â
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