How To Understand Your Emotions Better With Journaling

Discover the benefits of figuring out your emotions better with journaling. Learn how to you can get the most of it too.

I find it easier to express myself through writing.

Whether it’s a blog post or a letter, I enjoy sharing my feelings, experiences, and thoughts through written words.

It works both when I’m excited and happy, but also when I need a little push.

Either way, I became a major advocate of using journaling to understand and manage my emotions.

How it works

I keep one journal for my business and another one for myself.

Even though the application is different, the method is the same: just write.

There’s no minimum or maximum number of pages. I push aside any preconceived notion of what I should capture.

Instead, I sit down and write absolutely anything that comes to mind.

It doesn’t matter if I jump back and forth, interrupt myself, or make mistakes.

There’s no judgment, only writing.

One of the excellent benefits of this exercise is that it allows ideas to flow.

In the busYness of life, we tend to shut ourselves down.

We think:

• “I don’t have time for it now.”
• “I’ll make time for myself after I’ve crossed off more of my to-do list.”
• “I’ll do it tomorrow.”

When we get caught up in these excuses, we delay the benefits of journaling.

And we go from task to task without reflection, purpose, or a sense of presence.

When we journal, we have the opportunity to brainstorm. As a result, we unveil hidden thoughts and solutions.

Word by word, we:

• Find solutions to old struggles
• Discover our priorities
• Acknowledge our feelings

For example, when I have an idea for a blog post, unless I can write down my initial thoughts, I won’t go further than the first paragraph.

But when I can sit behind my laptop, it all comes out very easily.

The same goes for emotions.

Journaling for feelings

Whether it’s an old grudge or something that has just happened to me, it’s harder to resolve it by analyzing it superficially. And that’s what we do when we simply mull it over in our heads.

It’s necessary that I:

• Review the event
• Reflect on what happened
• Put myself in the shoes of all parties involved
• Come up with a better approach that’s realistic
• Try to solve the situation as-is

It isn’t something that can be done in a minute or two.

It takes at least a couple of meditation sessions and a lot of brainstorming thanks to journaling.

The time I invest saves me from ruminating on negative events and harboring resentment and anger for years.

It’s such a simple approach that people can take it for granted, but I’m here to tell you that it works.

Getting started

First of all, don’t let that the Instagram account of your favorite planner or Pinterest get to you.

The people who appear to be experts at journaling are only that way because they:

• Have been doing it for ages
• Have established a rhythm
• Might have the appearance of success, but aren’t actually executing.

But it’s their experience, not yours.

I’m on vacation right now and using an Erin Condren notebook for journaling.

The paper is excellent for fountain pens which are a newly-found passion.

But using an old notebook works just fine.

And if you need help to come up with ideas, stay consistent and motivated, join the 52-Week Challenge For A More Productive You today.

Learn one day at a time how you can benefit from journaling and other tools to:

• Boost your confidence
• Create space in your schedule
• Define your priorities
• Accomplish your Goals
• Live the lifestyle of your Dreams

Before you go

Can you answer the following question in the comments below, please?

Do you journal on a daily basis?

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