The Benefits of Mindful Journaling

If you have ever kept a journal before, you likely already know what a great tool it can be for calming and clearing your mind. But what if journaling could serve a greater purpose? One that helps you get in tune with yourself and your thoughts so that you can ultimately foster more positive ones and experience a new level of personal growth?

Many of us tend to think of meditation when it comes to mindfulness, and while we aren’t wrong to make that connection, you don’t have to be seated with our eyes closed to practice mindfulness. You can apply the concept of mindfulness, or focusing your awareness, to anything you do throughout the day. When you apply mindfulness to journaling, the process shifts from merely writing about your day to reflecting on it. When it comes to mindful journaling, you will write with purpose and honesty while maintaining a total state of awareness.

It doesn’t matter if you follow a writing prompt or write freely - you will experience the same benefits as long as you write regularly and truthfully.

Detachment

Often, we assign more meaning to events in our day than they need to have; we constantly create stories in our minds that are influenced by our self-limiting beliefs or self-doubts. These stories are not always an accurate representation of what happened, but our mind fixates on what we believe is true. Say you have a teacher or boss who gave you some constructive criticism, which led you to think that they find you incompetent. When you write in your mindful journal, you adopt an outside-in perspective that separates you from your story. Through taking time to reflect on what you wrote, you can discover the space between the truth and the story, allowing you to notice triggers and patterns in your way of thinking with the ultimate goal of developing healthier thought patterns.

Gratitude

  Another thing that happens as we move throughout our day is we lose sight of all our positive experiences and interactions. Mindful journaling is one the most effective ways to practice and cultivate gratitude. By regularly taking the time to write down the things you are grateful for, no matter how big or small, it becomes more habitual for your mind to look out for things to be thankful for. What starts as jotting down three things each morning and night, can lead to you tapping into mindfulness throughout the day, reflecting on grateful moments as they occur and enabling you to feel happier. Not to mention, practicing gratitude through mindful journaling also helps reduce anxiety and improve sleep.

Brain Rewiring

Mindful journaling is similar to meditation because it can put you in a theta brainwave state. Theta activity is classed as slow brain activity, meaning this brainwave state makes you feel calmer, helping you become less reactive in the face of stress. The same as with gratitude, your brain won’t rewire overnight, but you will begin to notice some subtle shifts in the calmer way you feel and respond to situations, especially if you take the time to reflect monthly on some of your journal entries.

There is no right or wrong way to practice mindful journaling - write what and when makes the most sense for you. Aim for about 10 minutes each day and be patient and compassionate with yourself as you go. All you need is a journal and a pen to begin improving your life through mindfulness.