Journaling 2x

Why Journaling Is So Valuable

Indeed, while meditation seems like such a silly, simple activity, sitting still and focusing on one thing, it turns out that there are mountains of scientific literature supporting its many, many benefits for your health, well-being, cognition and happiness. Indeed, these days there isn’t a doctor or self-help guru alive who would deny that meditation is a massively effective tool for self-improvement, health and happiness.

But what would you say if I told you that journalling, the simple act of writing words on a page that nobody else will ever see is similarly supported by the medical literature or that it has an equally long laundry list of benefits? You might be surprised, but it’s true. Now, if you’re like me, you’re probably here to gain one or two specific benefits, be it more focus and success in your career that are recollection of your life’s events or more happiness. And yes, you’re going to get all of that, too. But as it turns out, there is so much more that journaling has to offer. In fact, in the words of New York Times writer Hayley Feiglin, scientific studies have shown it to be essentially a panacea for modern life.

Do I have your attention? Great. Now let’s get specific. Did you know, for example, that journaling has been scientifically proven to boost your immune system and help injuries heal faster, or that it has been studied as an effective treatment for stress, anxiety and depression?

But that’s not all. In fact, studies have even found that journaling can lead to better sleep, more self-confidence improves working memory and even higher I.Q.. It sounds insane, but it’s true if you’re curious.

So, yes, journaling will help you achieve your goals faster, be more emotionally grounded and happy in your daily life and help you feel more in control. And all of this simply by putting pen to paper for a few minutes a day. Now, you might be wondering if you’re like me, how can this possibly be, after all, like meditation? Journaling is such a seemingly simple thing. Well, scientists and psychologists have quite a bit to say about this. They cite the importance of things like unpacking emotional trauma, the calming effect of the slowing down and writing the value of self-expression and the opportunity to rewrite painful memories in a new light. This all makes a lot of sense, and I encourage you to dive deeper into the scientific literature that I’ve shared. If you’d like to learn more about the actual neuroscience behind how all this works. But for now, I’d like to share with you from my own personal experience why I think journaling packs such a punch.

Let me start by asking you, when was the last time you sat down uninterrupted and thought your way through a problem with zero distractions? Chances are with so much noise and so many things vying for our attention these days. It’s been a while since you dedicated time to just thinking. And even if you did, it’s likely that you’d get distracted, sidetracked or go in circles.

Cognitive scientists claim that up to 98 percent of our daily thoughts are the same repeats. And I bet you’ve experienced this for yourself. This is because our brains are really good at thinking about ideas, problems and obstacles. But as the saying goes, the same type of thinking that got you into the problem is incapable of getting you out. And so we ruminate. We go in circles thinking about the things we want to do or change or create and get stuck at the reasons why we can’t. And round and round and round we go. Only when we’re able to fully focus, when we have some external influence, like a conversation with a friend or a therapist, for example. Do we break through to the solutions?

Enter journaling.

First of all, journaling gives you a tangible thing to focus on as you do your uninterrupted thinking. In this way, it serves the same purpose as the mantra or your breath during meditation. It’s a tool to keep you engaged. What’s more, the act of writing things down changes your thinking, slowing you down, accessing different parts of the brain, and allowing you to push through the same old roadblocks and circles. Whereas you could easily go about thinking the same thoughts over and over on repeat, day in and day out. It’s harder to ignore a thought pattern when it’s staring back at you on a piece of paper. Add to this the fact that journaling gives you a record of your life and your thoughts that you can go back and look at any time you wish. This allows you to gain perspective on what you were feeling and thinking and when giving you a tremendous ability to review and make changes in your life. As such, journaling takes so much of the guesswork out of your personal growth, holding you accountable to your goals and aspirations while simultaneously offering you a record of what worked and what didn’t. But these are truly just a few of the many, many things that make journaling so powerful and so valuable. I’m sure you’ll discover many, many more as we progress throughout the course. And I’d rather we spend our time doing just that. So let’s not delay any further. Join me in the next lecture where we’ll figure out the right journaling medium for you.