Do you Write in a Journal?
We are said to have between 12,000 and 50,000 thoughts per day, of which 80% are negative and 95% are repeated, according to the National Science Foundation.
Needless to say, this explains why we feel stressed, overwhelmed and overthink a lot.
One of the first tools I give my clients that are suffering from stress is to write in a journal.
Yes, many of them look at me as if I have 2 heads and most question it.
What write in a diary?
That’s’ something that lovestruck teenagers do, right?
Well yes, they do, but believe me there is a lot more to gain than love when you start writing things down.
With these tens of thousands of thoughts each day, stuck in our heads, they become a jumbled mess.
One small negative thought, attaches to another, then another and before we know it, that little argument over a sandwich with your partner, turns into a full-blown war and divorce (in our heads)
When in reality the problem is minute in the grand scheme of things and can be easily resolved when we are able to see it with more clarity and rationalise the situation better.
Getting our thoughts, feelings, emotions, actions and behaviours out on paper, allows us to really get to know who we are right NOW.
It allows us to be aware of the environment we live in and the impact that is having on us, as well as the amazing things we are doing and have achieved, which believe me, we quickly forget.
The brain is wired to attach to negativity, as its primary role is to protect us.
Therefore, the bad things we seem to keep remembering vividly are vivid, because the brain wants to create a defence against them happening again. Unfortunately for us these negatives are then kept at the forefront of our mind and always seem bigger than they really are.
A journal can help you gain clarity on your life and anything you have going on, helping you work through problems.
A journal can help you progress in work and life, by allowing you to set goals and plans to achieve those goals, logging purposeful ideas you may have, instead of just dreaming about the things you want to achieve.
A journal can enable you to practice gratitude for who you are, all you have and what you’ve achieved. Instead of our primary thoughts always focusing on what we haven’t yet achieved and what we don’t like about ourselves.
I also love reflecting on my journal weekly and monthly to see how far I have come, to acknowledge my progress and make a note of the life lessons I have experienced along the way.
Something that is very apparent with every new client I coach, is the fact that they are lost.
They have lost control over their life, health, happiness and even lost their identity to an overloaded, crazy, busy schedule that they are barely sticking to, juggling many balls, which are all on the verge of dropping to the floor with a great big bang.
Journaling encourages you to place the balls down steadily and refocus.
Brain storming your way to happiness and success.
A journal can literally be your best friend.