Having a Grown-up Diary Can Actually Make You Happier
Not since our 17-year old selves have many of us spent time with our diaries admitting our deepest fears and sharing our hopes and dreams. But guess what, we still have fears, and we still have hopes and dreams. My question to you is, “When was the last time you actually admitted to yourself that you had either?” Sometimes our life gets in the way, and it is easier to just keep going rather than embracing the hurts of the past and admitting we have hopes for more in life. Using a journal is a safe place to explore many of those emotions that have been hidden or suppressed until now. Below I walk you through the ways a grown-up diary can benefit your life.
Helps You Heal. Possibly one of the most fulfilling benefits of journaling is its power to help you heal. Writing lets your mind clear the air - literally. As your thoughts flow onto paper, your mind is creating the space to think more clearly about your experience and giving it the room to make sense of your story. As you explore, you can understand and process your experiences on a deeper level.
Builds Self-Confidence. Journaling about a positive experience allows your brain to relive it and reminds you when self-doubt creeps in that you are, in fact, capable. Not only will your brain do a happy dance as you journal, but these entries can become a directory of personal achievements that you continuously go back to. Reading about your accomplishments can boost endorphins in your brain and encourage you to keep going while also setting new goals for yourself - benchmarks that you are now more confident you can meet.
Helps You Admit your Hopes and Dreams. Yes. You are allowed to have hopes and dreams and admit that you have them. Once upon a time, you had goals for yourself, but life got in the way and the things that you once thought were possible no longer seem to be. As a result, your goals changed, or you sacrificed the things you once wanted for the things you have now. By journaling what you want out of life, you are admitting that you want more and making it real. Take charge of where you are now and what you hope for yourself. Journal out your dreams and make them real.
Now that we have explored a few benefits of journaling, perhaps you are ready to take a leap and dive back into your diary. Not only can journaling improve your mood and give you a greater sense of overall emotional well-being and happiness, it can also keep track of your journey. By starting today, you can look back in one year or even ten and see how much your shine has grown.
All too often life throws us curve balls or we end up on autopilot ready to implode. We find ourselves burying our feelings just to keep everyone and everything around us afloat. Is it time to start to release some of the pressure and get to know yourself again? Shine Your Bright can help. Start with our journal now!