How Journaling Can Save You From Your Mind Traps

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Abstract

cus on the things in life that are truly important. Every morning I start off writing in my journal one or two things that I am grateful for. In our culture (I’m talking about American/Western culture) we have a tendency to look far what isn’t there, instead of what is. It’s very discouraging if on a daily basis you’re looking at your glass thinking it’s half empty. It keeps us in a constant state of lack, where we are unable to be grateful for what we already have because we do not take the time to acknowledge it. Instead we stress constantly about what we wish we could have.By focusing my energies on what I have instead of what I don’t have I have less worries. In constantly practicing what I am grateful for I change my perspective to looking at what I already have, and doing so allows me to realize that I have plenty and I live an abundant life. It also adds the perspective that I could have all those things that I wish for, but they are just accessories. They are not the things that I already have that do make me happy.Journaling helps you process your thoughts, instead of having them run wild in your mind. Writing down my thoughts has helped me process them and ideas better because in the heat of a moment, if I’m running with emotions and making decisions based on how I feel, not the facts surrounding that decision, I could be making a big mistake.Nowadays people are always reacting to things they hear or see based on how they feel. They do not take a moment to process what happened, and instead automatically respond with the first thing that pops in their mind. When we see something that upsets us or makes us have less than pleasant thought

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s, taking the time to write what we think down will put us in a state of mind where we analyze what was said or seen, and how come we’re responding the way we are. In doing so we separate our emotions from the event and are able to process it better and therefore make a sound decision surrounding the issue we’re dealing with.There are an array of other benefits to journaling but I wanted to start with the simplest ones I know and also have experienced change with. I highly encourage anyone to journal and the best thing is that it’s very easy to get started. If you’re like me and prefer to have a physical object, a notebook will do. If you want to treat it like your own personal project, go ahead and purchase a nice journal that will get you excited to start writing. Otherwise you can always go digital. There’s plenty of sites and programs that you can search and sign up for right away. The key here is to simply get started. You don’t need to write anything complicated. Just simply write whatever comes to mind.The most important thing here is to get those thoughts out and onto ‘paper’ so that you can separate them from yourself and start processing the thoughts that are making your mind run. I do highly suggest to write things you are grateful for, to have perhaps a separate journal that you just dedicate to writing what you’re grateful for. I find that intentionally practicing being grateful can do wonders for your mind. I even wrote more about why we need to do this. You can find the blog <a href="https://readmedium.com/we-need-to-intentionally-practice-gratitude-seriously-4a9033535c6a">here</a>.For now I’ll leave you with this.</article></body>

And simple steps to get started on your own journal.

Our brains are amazing. They have allowed us humans to evolve in a way where we are the dominant species in our world and over time develop technology that makes our day-to-day living much easier.

However, with the rise of technology and many of us no longer having to be worried about a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, or clothes on our bodies; the worries that we used to deal with have switched categories and the majority now live in the conscious of our minds.

We’re dealing with anxiety, stress, depression. Many of them not physical ailments, or at least they do not originate in the physical. They begin in our minds and later on develop into physical symptoms that if we do not start treating, can literally destroy us from the inside out.

I’ve found that perhaps one of the most useful, and accessible, ways to begin helping our minds and have our conscious work with us, instead of against us, is journaling. This method allows me to process anything that may have happened throughout my day, or thoughts that may have sprung into my conscious that took a negative turn, which then turn into anxiety and stress.

Journaling can help you focus on the things in life that are truly important. Every morning I start off writing in my journal one or two things that I am grateful for. In our culture (I’m talking about American/Western culture) we have a tendency to look far what isn’t there, instead of what is. It’s very discouraging if on a daily basis you’re looking at your glass thinking it’s half empty. It keeps us in a constant state of lack, where we are unable to be grateful for what we already have because we do not take the time to acknowledge it. Instead we stress constantly about what we wish we could have.

By focusing my energies on what I have instead of what I don’t have I have less worries. In constantly practicing what I am grateful for I change my perspective to looking at what I already have, and doing so allows me to realize that I have plenty and I live an abundant life. It also adds the perspective that I could have all those things that I wish for, but they are just accessories. They are not the things that I already have that do make me happy.

Journaling helps you process your thoughts, instead of having them run wild in your mind. Writing down my thoughts has helped me process them and ideas better because in the heat of a moment, if I’m running with emotions and making decisions based on how I feel, not the facts surrounding that decision, I could be making a big mistake.

Nowadays people are always reacting to things they hear or see based on how they feel. They do not take a moment to process what happened, and instead automatically respond with the first thing that pops in their mind. When we see something that upsets us or makes us have less than pleasant thoughts, taking the time to write what we think down will put us in a state of mind where we analyze what was said or seen, and how come we’re responding the way we are. In doing so we separate our emotions from the event and are able to process it better and therefore make a sound decision surrounding the issue we’re dealing with.

There are an array of other benefits to journaling but I wanted to start with the simplest ones I know and also have experienced change with. I highly encourage anyone to journal and the best thing is that it’s very easy to get started. If you’re like me and prefer to have a physical object, a notebook will do. If you want to treat it like your own personal project, go ahead and purchase a nice journal that will get you excited to start writing. Otherwise you can always go digital. There’s plenty of sites and programs that you can search and sign up for right away. The key here is to simply get started. You don’t need to write anything complicated. Just simply write whatever comes to mind.

The most important thing here is to get those thoughts out and onto ‘paper’ so that you can separate them from yourself and start processing the thoughts that are making your mind run. I do highly suggest to write things you are grateful for, to have perhaps a separate journal that you just dedicate to writing what you’re grateful for. I find that intentionally practicing being grateful can do wonders for your mind. I even wrote more about why we need to do this. You can find the blog here.

For now I’ll leave you with this.