Today, I want to share why journaling is so valuable. I first learned this “magic connection” when I was giving a presentation. As I was speaking to the group, I had this image pop into my mind along with the explanation of what it meant. As I drew the picture and explained it, I was the student being taught, just as much as anyone else in the room. So, here we go…
Our minds communicate in pictures and in words, and our hearts communicate using our feelings. It’s like speaking two different languages and often it’s hard to understand one another. Thankfully, we’ve been blessed with the communication device that helps us interpret what we are thinking with what we are feeling. This communication device is our mouth (located in the throat chakra area for any energy work or chakra fans out there- for more information on chakras visit this blog post).
As we talk, we bridge the lack of understanding between our thoughts and feelings (mind and heart). Sometimes it is still hard to understand
The ‘brain dump’ journaling exercise comes into play when we don’t want to censor our thoughts and emotions or shouldn’t, but we don’t want to say them out loud either. Journaling offers you a safe space to speak your mind and express your feelings, however you want, without anyone judging you or being offended or hurt.
What does this have to do with writing? Well… this is where it gets exciting. Your arm is an extension of your shoulder and throat area (still in the communication area). At the end of your arm is your hand and fingers that can hold a pen or pencil. As you express yourself on paper, I’ve discovered that your True thoughts and emotions have a safe place to be revealed.
Also, these thoughts and emotions are “captured,” like a moment taken by a camera. Because you now have these things written on paper, you can re-read and examine them and decided if they are serving you or not.
Some of you are going to be tempted to just do this in your head. Yes, it does work, however, I’ve found it to be so much more effective if I write things down. So give writing a try.
This does not mean you need to keep these papers. Nope, once you’ve learned what you needed to from your personal discovery, you can throw them away if you’d like.
When should I do this? Great question!
Anytime you feel stuck or don’t know what to do, journaling will help you really ‘see’ why you’re stuck and move you out of being stuck. Perhaps you are trying to make a decision or feel confused. This type of journaling will help you see why you are confused, which can then help you make your decision. When you are overwhelmed it helps show you the things that are causing your feelings of overwhelm; then you can make a plan and take action and get out of overwhelm. Maybe you are feeling frustrated, journaling will help you discover what you are really frustrated about and take steps to become less frustrated.
Journaling helps us to uncover the thoughts behind the way we are feeling. Our feelings cause us to take action or inaction, which gives us a result related to our original thought.
Perhaps you are frustrated that your teenager leaves a mess in the bathroom. Through journaling the way you feel and think things should be, you discover that you think “teenagers should be clean all the time (because you clean up after yourself all the time to, don’t you -wink).” A clean bathroom is not your reality, thus it is causing you to feel frustrated. Ya, this happens in my house too.
Now that you understand why you feel this way, you are free from frustration by choosing to think a more helpful thought. Knowing that teenagers are NOT clean all the time, I can choose to think, “I am grateful my teenager likes to look nice, and has a place to do that. I am willing to ask them to please clean up their mess when they are done. Sometimes they will, sometimes they won’t, but I love them either way.”
Wow, I feel better! I am grateful for my teenagers, and I know I am going to have to patiently and loving remind my teenager to clean up the bathroom-probably often. Awe well, such is the life of a mom with teenagers. I’m so normal and I’m showing up the way I choose to.
The point is, that pen in your hand becomes an interpreter for the two languages your body is using to communicate (your mind and your heart). When they are working in harmony, life is smoother. When they are not, life is rougher.
Get a piece of paper out and write what you are thinking and feeling. Don’t censor the information or judge yourself, just be curious what it will reveal to you. It doesn’t have to take very long either, one paragraph will do.
It’s a great tool for getting to know you and learning to forgive and love yourself unconditionally. It will reveal how you ‘really’ think and feel in situations and give you a greater understanding of why you do that.
Taking a few minutes to write your thoughts and
Happy journaling,
PS If you are interested in learning more about how to manage your thoughts through self coaching, sign up for a FREE 15-minute mini session here.