If You're Going To Journal - You Need To Set Clear Intentions To Get The Benefit
Do you journal? I do, and yet not in the way you might expect. It’s fair to say that journaling is a super-hot topic right now. Nearly every personal growth and self-help website tells us to keep a journal of our thoughts, feelings and ideas. In fact, thousands of people report positive results from journaling. What I want you to keep in mind is that the focus of your journal is critically important. That is to say, journaling benefits from clear intentions if you want it to live up to the positive outcome of your expectations.
Like every personal development or growth tool, it’s suitable for some people and not for others. Seemingly, not one size fits all! However, if you are going to choose journaling, it’s important to understand the outcome you want and the best approach for you to take. If you approach it with an open mind, journaling can be a powerful tool for personal growth, self-discovery, improved health and creative self-expression. Conversely, if you use journaling to write down lots of negative experiences, and then you scan back over them the following week looking for answers, you may find yourself feeling worse.
Research on Journaling
Honestly, the outcome of research completed on the benefits of journaling shows mixed results. This research, carried out in 2012 suggests that two things make a difference. Firstly, we take more notice of thoughts we write down than we do of thoughts we don’t. Effectively, we give them more significance. Secondly, if we carry those thoughts around with us in a wallet or a piece of paper, they have even greater significance. Furthermore, if the thought on the paper felt negative, study participants had a negative association with the idea. Needless to say, if the idea was positive, a positive mental attitude towards the concept presented.
Therefore, we can assume that if we’re writing down lots of positive ideas down about achievement, overcoming challenges, managing our mood, etc., then journaling is probably going to work well for us. However, if we’re dealing with some strong negative feelings, a sense of isolation, lack of confidence and more, journaling may not be the best approach for us. In summary, journaling benefits from clear intentions. So, always ask yourself “what thoughts do I want to magnify in my world?”
What's The Difference Between A Diary And A Journal
It’s important to distinguish clearly between a diary and a journal. In my mind, a diary is a record of our daily activities. Specifically, it might read like a log book or newspaper and act as a memory jog for precious moments we think we’ll want to remember later on in life.
Conversely, a journal is expressive by nature and it contains feelings, emotions, challenges, ideas we’re considering and events we perceive as successes. Moreover, it is more reflective on the meaning of life being lived by you in the moment. Specifically,a journal records the heart of our experiences, our memories, feelings, and insights that flow from the experiences we had each day.
It’s important to set aside time for journaling and commit to the process. Often, the best way to do this can be to write at the same time each day. It’s also a good idea to write in the same book. What’s more, you may even choose to have different books for different types of journaling – more on this below!
Setting The Intention And Focus For Journaling
We’ve discussed the idea that journaling benefits from clear intentions. We magnify what we focus on in our world. Some may call it the Law of Attraction. A more scientific explanation would suggest that we filter our perception based on our emotions, values, repeated thoughts and beliefs. Specifically, if we believe the world is magical, we will filter our perception to see magical things. On the other hand, if we believe the world is a terrible place, we will filter our perception to see only terrible things. Quite frankly, it really is that simple.
What Outcome Do You Want?
Therefore, the real question is, “what outcome do you want?”.
Perhaps you’re looking for a way to vent your negative feelings towards a person or situation, keeping a record of this may be unhelpful. In fact, you may want to see my note about Julia Cameron below.
Or maybe you’re looking to magnify positive experiences in your world then writing a “Gratitude Journal” or a “Positive Things that happened today” is a good way of focusing your mind and bringing in more of the same.
Sometimes We All Benefit From Support
On the other hand, you may be looking to find out how you have ended up where you are. Perhaps you want clarity on what’s really happening in your world. You might even be looking to identify repeated patterns of behaviour. In this instance, journaling can be helpful working in conjunction with a coach, therapist or psychologist. Specifically, this kind of situation can uncover a roller coaster of emotions and it’s useful to work through those with support and an external perspective.
And finally, if you’re looking to resolve negative feelings and experiences, it’s probably more effective to work with another tool, such as a therapist, coach or psychologist. Storing a catalogue of negative ideas, thoughts and feelings, and then re-reading them is simply going to compound the problem.
Handwriting Has Magical Powers
Whichever intention you set for your journaling, I highly recommended writing with pen on paper, rather than using a computer. The physical connection of hand to pen and paper facilitates a much stronger connection to our emotions in the present. Whereas, ‘tippy-tapping’ on our laptop can exacerbate disconnection. What’s more, it’s easier to take paper outside and burn it! 🙂
Types Of Journaling
The Gratitude Journal
In my personal opinion, this is one of the most impactful forms of journaling. I often set this as a task for my clients. Honestly, it’s not really the standard approach and involves writing down everything you’re truly grateful for at the end of each day. Additionally, you may choose to write a note about the emotions you have beyond gratitude.
Effectively, it’s like writing a gratitude list. This research published in 2010 found that “Participants often report that the technique is enjoyable and self-reinforcing, choosing to continue the exercise even after the ending of the intervention (Seligman, 2005). The paper originally proposing gratitude lists as an effective intervention for well-being enhancement was Emmons and McCullough (2003), and two recent studies (Geraghty et al., in press,2010) have suggested that gratitude lists may be as effective as techniques commonly used in clinical therapy.”
If you want to gain real insight into the positive benefits of Gratitude List journaling, read this fantastic book “365 Thank Yous” by John Kralik.
The RANT Book
If you’re feeling angry, frustrated or some other negative emotion towards a situation or person, sometimes it’s good to get it out of your head with a giant written RANT!
The important thing to note here is that you want to use a pad or binder where you can tear out the pages when you’ve finished. Quite simply, you write, write and keep writing until everything is out of your head. When you feel the emotions disappear, you may or may not want to read them. If you choose to read them, think of that read-through as part of the the letting go process.
Then find a box of matches, take those pages outside and BURN them. There’s something deeply cathartic about watching your words go up in flames. It can really help you to let them go and move forward.
Even better, this is an ad hoc writing technique to bring out whenever you’re looking for a pressure release valve. Give it a try and see how you feel!
The Type Of Journaling That Works For Me - The Empty My Head Approach
About 20 years ago, I discovered this fabulous book by Julia Cameron and I swear by her method. For me, I think of it as the empty my head technique.
You keep a book by your bed and the moment you wake up, you simply write everything down that’s in your head until you cannot think of anything else. You are empty! In my mind, it’s the same mental process as meditation or yoga in the morning.
The writing can be tossed away, burned or left in the book. The purpose is not to read it again, it’s to clear all the mundane checklists, thoughts and ideas out of your mind so that you create space for CREATIVITY. Hurrah to that!
In fact, I’ve recommended this book to so many people over the last two decades, I’ve lost count. If you’d like to give it a try, you can buy it on Amazon.
Knowing If Journaling Is Right For You
Helpful Outcomes
Here are some useful guidelines. Journaling is helpful if it offers you these results.
- Makes you step back and evaluate your thoughts, emotions, and behaviour.
- Is solution-focused.
- Lowers your tendency to react emotionally to others.
- Expands your perspective, enables you to manage uncertainty more effectively and increases your tolerance.
- Transmutes negative feelings into determination, growth and creativity.
- Helps you take a definitive course of action.
Unhelpful Outcomes
Journaling can have a negative effect on your mindset and well being if it:
- Makes you live too much in your head
- Makes you a passive observer of your life – you’re writing it down and doing nothing about it!
- Makes you self-obsessed and constantly imagining that everything is about you.
- Encourages the concept of blame (either internal or external) and keeps you stuck.
- Engages you more deeply in a negative story – creating wallowing in unhelpful feelings.
Consider Working With A Coach or Therapist
I would encourage you to work with a coach to support you in identifying your core values in each area of your life. By doing this, you can decide whether your behaviour is aligned with your values, and if not, what could be stopping the alignment.
Moreover, a coach can help us in being more accepting of ourselves just as we are. What’s more, acceptance can be a powerful foundation for growth, change and creativity.
In addition, a coach can support you in expanding your perspective to see solutions beyond the realms of our current awareness. Finally, a coach can support us in integrating limiting ideas and beliefs, see them as part of the greater whole and giving us the opportunity to acknowledge our inner strength and capability.
Whichever route you choose, I wish you well and a joyful year!
Find Out More About Working With Me
To find out more about coaching with me, or if you’d like to arrange a call to see if we’re a good fit for one another, please send me an email to sarah@sarahmerron.com.
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