Journaling is a release.
It’s like having a best friend there to listen to you without judgment.
Sitting down to journal your thoughts can be as effective as some therapy sessions, and although it’s not a substitute for therapy, it can be just as productive.
Journaling had made a major impact on my life.
UNCOVERING TRENDS, HABITS, PATTERNS
When I first started to journal when I was still essentially a kid (8th grade), I was just looking for a safe place to get out my true and authentic thoughts and feelings. I wasn’t thinking long term. I was just getting out of the pain, anxiety, and anger I had at that time in my life.
But journaling has a far greater advantage than just getting our thoughts out onto paper or a computer screen.
Journaling over a period of weeks, months, and years can clearly show us thoughts trends, habits, and patterns.
It also shows us our strengths and weaknesses and areas we need to improve upon.
When I look back at journals from high school, college, and in my late twenties and early thirties, I am astounded by the patterns I see repeating themselves over and over. These patterns are sometimes decades apart, yet they play out the same way. That is a monumental revelation when you’re trying to repair an anxiety-ridden brain. Seeing trends allows us to focus on them, become mindful of their presence, and ultimately change them.
That is one of the powers behind journaling.
HOW I STARTED JOURNALING
My aunt bought me my first journal when I was in 8th grade for my confirmation.
I didn’t seem to care too much at the time and tossed it inside of my nightstand drawer. But that seemingly insignificant purchase would end up being one of the most valuable gifts I would ever receive.
The following year I was a freshman in high school. I was struggling with my classes, nervous about playing on the basketball team, and still trying to fit into a city I had moved to three years prior. Mentally, I was not in a good spot. My worrying was at an all-time high, causing me to look for alternatives in getting my thoughts out. I was seeing a therapist at the time and that helped to an extent. But I still felt uncomfortable telling him everything I was going through in my mind.
Then one day while I was battling the anxiety, I picked up that journal my aunt had bought me and began jotting down my thoughts. I dated it, wrote exactly how I was feeling at the time, and then forgot about it.
The next day I came home from school stressed out and needed somewhere to decompress.
“Hmmm, maybe I should journal again?” I thought.
That journal became a knight in shining armor for my embattled psyche.
I wrote another page of thoughts, feelings, and emotions.
I was still too young to fully understand the true beauty of doing this, but I began to sense that this activity would become more than just a phase.
And it did.
After taking a break for a few years I picked it back up in college, and whoa did I feel the release of emotions.
It felt fucking fantastic.
I wrote some more throughout my college years. I had experienced a lot during those days; dropping out because of my awful grades, losing my best friend to suicide, partying my ass off, dealing with dating and breakups, and eventually going back, gathering my life and graduating with honors.
My journal is now a reflection of that time. I am a different person now, and it’s fun to reflect on my roller coaster of a journey by reading those posts.
MY LATER YEARS
A few years after college, I moved to Southern California.
After living with my cousin in Venice for a bit, I spent time working at a small internet company and living in a dingy, smelly, tiny studio apartment in Culver City. Not exactly the ideal setting for an anxious mind. The first six months in SoCal were filled with challenges and messy emotions. I was miserable at times; I loved Cali, but was unhappy with many things in my life at the time. Not having that base of family & friends close by to lean on made it even tougher.
So I turned to the one friend that had been with me since my 8th-grade confirmation.
A friend that was sitting in a box three feet away from my couch.
So I began writing daily in that journal again.
I did this for months.
I was also practicing mindfulness at the time and learning how to periodically jot down my thoughts at random intervals during the day. The entire process was therapeutic. It allowed me to release those troubling and painful thoughts and emotions I was facing at the time. It also allowed me to reflect on my thoughts over a period of time which showed me the patterns of when I tended to be more sad, depressed, and anxious. I could then better combat these negative thoughts since I knew when they would be the most likely to show up.
I still read my SoCal journal from time to time, and it takes me back and helps me reflect on my growth.
HOW JOURNALING CAN IMPACT YOUR ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
Had I not written down all of my troubles over the years, I wouldn’t have all of this insightful information about my thought patterns.
Upplifter would not be around.
I wouldn’t be able to sift through page after page of my psyche at a painful time in my life – something that has lasting benefits if you choose to view it as a learning experience.
Below are some of the critical components that journaling reveals:
- Shows trends in thought patterns (both positive and negative)
- Reveals periods that we tend to be more anxious or depressed, whether it’s morning, afternoon, evening, during the week, etc.
- Helps to release emotions by getting them out in a productive and healthy manner
- Gives us a large amount of insightful data about our most inner thoughts
- Allows us to look back at how much we’ve grown
- Gives us a free, easy way to get out of our heads
- Reveals weaknesses and areas of improvement
- Showcases strengths and areas of growth
- Gives us a safe place to jot down our deepest thoughts, feelings, and emotions
Journaling is still a big part of my growth.
IN REVIEW
I take it as somewhat of a challenge to continue this process. I take breaks, of course, sometimes for months, yet I always crave and return to it again. It has become a part of my life and another tool in my mental health toolbox. I would recommend journaling for anyone, even during happier days, and especially those of you who are going through dark and difficult days.
A few dollars and a tiny slice of time is well worth the long term gains of keeping a journal.
Looking for an anxiety coach? Contact me at brad@upplifter.com for a free consultation!
Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice, and you should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a professional in the medical and health area for your particular needs and circumstances prior to making any medical or health-related decisions. For your health-related questions, please seek the advice of a licensed physician or any other qualified health care provider immediately.
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