“There is no stress in the world, only people thinking stressful thoughts and then acting on them.” -Wayne Dyer
Do you write in a journal?
I’ve had many diaries – I just don’t write in them, on a regular basis. To be truthful, I’ve started new journals more times than I can remember, being seduced by those blank pages and pretty, patterned hard-cover notebooks. I usually stop writing in them, after just a few weeks.
Travel Journals
Some journals are functional, chronicling trips overseas. I have a few of those. Travel diaries are invaluable for constructing blog posts and triggering delightful memories long after the actual events have passed by.
Some entries in my journals are records of inspirational sayings, useful tips and random information. Others are mere scribble: words written in haste; created amid a torrent of emotion. Words that tumble sadness or happiness in a wash on the page, in the same way a river breaks its bank, in flood.
It might be a good thing my handwriting is somewhat illegible!
Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say.
It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.
~ Barbara Kingsolver
Despite journals having a place in my life, blog posts have become a substitute journal. Yet they are transient and have a short shelf life, (who reads old blog posts), so I wonder if a blog will become irrelevant, or less permanent than a hardcover, hand-written book over time?
That said, in the darkest of times, I find it helpful to hand write in real time, in a notebook. It constitutes a tactile flow of thoughts into a concrete form, (from brain to hand to book). It facilitates a release of intense thoughts from my headspace. Once written, I rarely read a journal entry again. The processing of emotion is complete.
So why then, do I keep a drawer full of old journals?
It seems there can be a deeper role for journaling, as this yoga teacher explains:
Journaling in tandem with meditation is useful. Expressive writing studies, (there are over 1000), show that journaling deep emotions aids physical health. It can help those who suffer from chronic health conditions. It can reduce days in hospital after surgery!
Studies show people who journal tend to talk, laugh, socialise more and sleep better. Those who journal are more likely to acknowledge when something bad happens and they use journaling to process their difficult experiences.
It turns out that putting stuff into words changes the way it is organised in our minds. Constructing a story from our ups and downs helps us recover from hard times and savour enjoyable times.
And it’s free.
www.thenomadyogi.com/post/meditation-grounding-practice
Is blogging different from journaling?
Is writing a therapeutic activity for you?
Why do you think the creative writing processes transform emotions?
The skill of writing is to create a context in which other people can think.
~ Edwin Schlossberg
http://www.be-a-better-writer.com/creative-writing-quotes.html
Something to Ponder About 