Day 104: The Benefits of Journaling

Working off yesterday’s post, I think that journaling helps my mental health. Write is a daily routine and an important part of my day. Some days are more rewarding than others, even in writing. Many days I do not have anything interesting to write about. But writing in a journal is not about entertaining anyone. It is about reflecting on the day, expressing those thoughts somewhere not in my head, and being able to reflect on those thoughts.

I use journaling as a tool, a monitor for myself. The journal is a way to document my thoughts and feelings, whatever they are. A journal is a place where there is not any judgment from others. Many times I find that I am judging myself. Other times I am giving myself praise. Reading from my own journal gives me an insight into some of my unconscious thoughts — the stuff that is important enough to write down.

Monitoring myself helps me understand what is real and what is just in my head. There are many conversations that I have with people in my own head by dipping into the past, trying to correct something, or thinking about what I will say in the future if that scenario presents itself again. I don’t think those conversations have ever happened or gone according to my fantasy. Most of those thoughts are stemmed from emotions. Some are good and some are bad.

By writing down my emotions I can monitor the balance that I seek. Yes, sometimes I am going to be angry and sometimes I am going to be so overjoyed that I believe that nothing bad could happen again. Of course, emotions only survive based on the fuel we give them. If I replay a scenario or conversation over and over in my head, I am giving that emotion fuel. And usually, it is a pleasant one because I am a problem solver and can’t help but think about solving the next problem of my life, however minor or major. But if I write down my emotions, I can dispell those feelings much quicker. I have expressed them and I no longer need to carry them.

That isn’t a 100% full-proof way of calming down or solving problems, but it often does help stop the record in my brain. I think there are many ways to “journal” our thoughts. Sometimes I record my thoughts on my phone or some other recorder. Sometimes I journal through singing alone in my car. Sometimes I pick up the gaming controller and let my emotions out on screen. And I don’t mean play GTA and run over people for fun. I mean changing the record. If I allow my brain to focus on something other than the fantasy in my mind then I am better able to think about the issue later with a calm mind.

Putting my thoughts into words forces me to rethink how I feel, what is real, and what is worth my effort to write. I don’t think I ever wrote about the supermarket line that was taking too long or the guy on the highway that was going too slow for my personal need. The minor things are not worth words so they are not worth my worry.

On a grand scale, I write in my journal just in case in a hundred years someone is going to want to read about my life. I hope that person is my grandchild. Or someone that is a huge fan of my work because I became a famous author. We can all dream. I told a friend once that my only goal in life as a writer is to inspire just one person with my words. I hope to do that for millions of people after I am gone too.

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Author's Note #1: It's also important to forgive myself on the days I don't write in my journal. If I'm going to be my only judge I should be a kind one.