From newindianexpress.com
Journaling is a powerful tool for self-reflection and getting to know yourself
In the last week of December, I spent approximately 36 hours making a journal from scratch. It involved my local stationary store, 100 gsm bond paper and my book-binding supplies—an awl, book cloth, curved needles, waxed-lined thread. The custom-made journal which emerged from this collaboration would be my companion for the rest of the year to help me plan, analyse, contemplate, create and manifest the life I desired.
Journals have existed since second century AD, the oldest being the ones written by Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius and the diary of Merer which kept track of limestone transported from Tara to Giza for the great pyramids. Eminent people such as Mahatma Gandhi, Beethoven, Marie Curie, Leonardo da Vinci and Winston Churchill have all maintained journals.
Several studies, notable among which is the one done by Pennsylvania State University, have found journaling to be effective to improve mental health, by providing clarity of thought, reducing anxiety, helping to achieve goals, boosting memory and inspiring creativity. Personally, keeping a journal has helped me create my dream life, something I never thought possible.
One of the common complaints in keeping a journal is that it gets mundane, even exhausting to record one’s daily life, where one day is the same as the other, and ‘nothing ever happens’. But a journal could be much more than that. It is an empty cup, waiting for you to fill it with your choice of drink, whether it be a fine whiskey, coffee, desi chai, or plain water.
In my journal, I use a single sentence to record a day. The rest of my entry is split into three parts. In the first, I write down what must be done the next day. In the second I write a list of things I am grateful for. The third part is filled with positive affirmations. The simple act of writing affirmations elevates and invokes feelings of positivity in our brain, which has been conditioned to believe the written word. Use it to your advantage to re-programme your brain by writing in your journal. You could also use beautiful stickers to enhance the look of your page.
What you would require for journaling consistently is commitment. Set an alarm on your phone at the same time every day, at a time that works for you. (For me it is just before bedtime). When it goes off, sit down, and write.
Journaling is a powerful tool for self-reflection and getting to know yourself. The best part is that you do not have to spend 36 hours like I did. Pick up any notebook and simply start. You will be astonished at the changes that take place in your life once you commit to this deceptively simple habit.
Preeti Shenoy
Novelist, Illustrator, Speaker
Instagram: @preeti.shenoy
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