Wednesday Health and Beauty: Journaling

 I`ve kept a journal since I was younger, or I should say I have kept many journals. I have a big box in my parent's basement that is full of my old journals. None of them are full. I would write for a few months and then stop for a year or so and then start up again with a new one. I recently started journaling on the computer but I always felt as though it wasn't private enough. I have also read that it`s better to journal using pen and paper. Something about it being more comforting and therapeutic. I tend to start journals when I am upset or have a lot on my mind. This time was no different. This week started off on the wrong foot and hasn't been a very good week so far. I just feel as though I have a lot on my mind, a lot of worries, a lot of planning and it seems to all be jumbled up in my thoughts. So yesterday I went out to Chapters and picked up a brand new journal. This is going to be the first journal I start in my new apartment. I sat for a good half an hour last night and just wrote everything that came out. I didn't expect that I would feel better but after I closed my journal, I felt a little more at peace. I can't say that any of the problems are solved or that I am feeling a hundred percent better, but it definitely helped.

I've read that it is better to journal in the morning and get all your thoughts out so you can start your day with a clear mind. Morning journaling also allows you to have a true stream of consciousness whereas journaling at night tends to be a summary of the days events. I have tried journaling in the morning before but because I am not a morning person and it takes me a while to feel fully awake, I found that I wasn`t getting as much out. For me journaling works best at night. I can get a lot of what's bothering me out on paper right before bed and fall asleep quicker since most of the thoughts that would usually be keeping me up are down on paper.

If you are a morning person and want to read about Morning Pages, click here.

For those of you who want to journal and have been struggling to start, here is a list of some of the benefits of journaling.

• Reduces scatter in your life
• Releases pent-up emotions
• Detaches you and allows you to let go of the past
• Allows you to process your thoughts in a natural way
•  Acts as your counselor
• Soothes troubled thoughts
• Reveals patterns
• It's a great self discovery tool
• Clarifies thoughts
• Finds the missing pieces and the unsaid
• Awakens your inner voice
• Provides insights
• Improves sensitivity
• Helps with decision making
• Exercises mental muscles
• Plants seeds

Happy writing!