Find Peace and Happiness

When you start journaling your life, you begin to find all of these amazing benefits. It is wonderful for your mental, physical, and emotional health. These benefits might take a little while to become apparent, so be patient! And don’t force yourself to feel or experience something you think you should be experiencing. Just let it come naturally.

One of our favorite benefits of journaling is the ability to truly become a happier and more peaceful person. This is through the act of journaling, the clarity you get, creating plans for the future, and so much more. Here is a quick look at how you can become a happier and more content person with journaling.

It’s Not Meant to Be Perfect

The first thing to remember is that journaling is not meant to be perfect. It is not something you need to do a certain way and there is no “right” way to do it. But that’s the beauty of it – it becomes whatever you need it to be.

This is at the forefront of finding more peace with journaling, because there is no pressure. You are not showing your journal to anyone (unless you want to), so you can write anything and everything you want without worrying about the repercussions.

Your journal is your private sanctuary, your safe haven, the one place you can go to where you can express all your inner thoughts and hopes and fears without worrying about judgment or ridicule.

This provides so much power for your life, allowing you to become a much more peaceful person, and ultimately, a happier person.

Expert Tip – Keeping Your Journal Private

If this is something you hope to get out of your journaling experience, keep it private! Either don’t tell people you have it or always keep it with you or in a safe place. Knowing nobody can find your journal and read it makes it even more freeing for you.

Journaling for Mindful Thinking

The next way journaling can help you become a happier person is through mindful thinking. Mindfulness is all about living in the current moment and acknowledging what you feel right now, whether it is good or bad. You take each moment to reflect on your current mental and physical state, without worrying too much about the future or dwelling on the past.

It is used in many different scenarios, with some people doing mindful meditation on a daily basis, while others practice mindfulness for things like weight loss (mindful eating) or just mindful thinking as they go throughout their day.

It is an amazing tool for your mental and emotional wellbeing.

How do You Use it in Journaling?

Something to keep in mind is that you don’t need to try to be mindful while journaling, because the act of writing in your journal alone will become a more mindful experience. However, here are some tips for being more mindful as you journal:

Take a minute to think about your thoughts first. There is no need to rush into writing in your journal if you have a little extra time. Take a few minutes to just sit quietly, close your eyes, and explore what your mind is providing you. It will typically guide you in one direction or another, giving you clues as to what is a priority right now in your thought process.

Journal about what you are feeling at this very moment before going into the past or future. Yes, there are a lot of benefits to journaling about what you have gone through, remembering important moments in your life, and making plans for the future. But for mindful journaling, always start with the present and what you are experiencing at this point in your life before exploring other moments.

When making plans, think of what you can change NOW. Another way to be more mindful in your journaling process is to think of what you can change now, or in the near future, as opposed to what you can do in 6 months or a year or longer. As you make plans and set your goals for the future, always start with the present day and circumstances right now in your life.

Allow yourself to be grateful for your current life. A big part of being mindful is understanding, acknowledging, and appreciating how you feel right now. Listen to what your mind is telling you, feel those emotions, be grateful for your life, then move on.

Express Gratitude

Speaking of gratitude, this is another amazing benefit you get by journaling. Sometimes it can seem a little counter-intuitive, but when you are more thankful for what is in your life, it brings in even more happiness and more things to be grateful for.

Never underestimate the power of gratitude.

No matter where your life is now, you have something to be grateful for. There are big things and small things, and everything in between. Here are some examples, though what YOU are grateful for is going to be unique for YOU.

• You have steady employment – whether it is your dream job or not.
• Your personal/family life is going well.
• You got up today.
• Your illness is improving.
• You have amazing friends in your life.
• You accomplished something today.
• You are working hard on your goals.
• You have all the basic comforts people need.
• You had help with a big problem you were experiencing.
• Your faith is helping to bring you peace in a dark time.

Remember nothing is too small or insignificant.

How to Express Gratitude in Your Journal

This part is easy – just write it down! Some people will have a journal specifically dedicated to their daily gratitude, but this isn’t necessary. If you are journaling your life and writing in it every day, you can have one section each day where you list at least one thing you are grateful for today. This is also going to help with mindfulness.

Don’t feel too much pressure to make it long and detailed. Just a simple sentence about something you are grateful for today is all you need.

Happiness Through Achievements

Another thing that people tend to underestimate in their life is how much happier and fulfilled they feel when they accomplish something. Making goals and reaching them is so much more than what it brings to you on a financial or professional level – this can bring you so much joy when you realize you set a goal and accomplished it.

These can be achievements in your personal or professional life. There are a lot of wonderful things to set your mind to and work hard to strive for.

Every small and large achievement is worth celebrating.

Use your journal to celebrate every single achievement you have, from small things like getting up the courage to meet someone new, to large achievements like completing a big project or a goal you wrote in your journal a while ago.

 

Memories and Nostalgia

There are some memories in your life that you might not want to remember – mistakes you have made, regrets you have. But those good memories – the ones you really want to hold onto, can bring you joy.

Think about a time when you were truly happy. It can be one small moment, a compliment paid to you, a fun birthday, a special moment between you and a beloved family member. When you think back on it, it brings you joy, right? You smile at the thought of it.

This is what nostalgia can bring to you. When you write everything down in your journal, you have all these opportunities to bring back your happy memories, reflect on them, and become a happier person having experienced them.

Journaling For Your Life

Journaling supports your self-discovery and growth!

Knowing who you are is essential to keeping you on track for personal success and leading a happy, calm life.

If you are ready to be held accountable for putting yourself first it is time to enroll in the 4-week interactive course Journaling For Your Life!

Put yourself first so you can be an even better support at home, at work, and to friends, this interactive course is for you!

Enroll Now

In the later years of your life, will you remember all of your adventures? Will you vividly recall the emotions that you felt during some of the best times as well as some of the worst times? Will your family be able to learn about who you truly were as a person after you are gone? Will they understand your side of the story or your driving motivations?

Each life is filled with incredibly rich and poignant twists and turns. Even on average days of your life, your unique thoughts and daily activities can be rich with meaning and importance in subtle or grand ways. Journaling is an excellent way to tell your life story for your own benefit or to share with others at a much later date.

Get to Know Yourself

Through journaling, you have the opportunity to take a close, introspective look at who you are and what you stand for. Many people simply assume that they know who they are as a person because they live in their own skin, but as soon as you sit down to put pen to paper, you may realize that there are at least a few parts of yourself that are a mystery. With each new journal entry that you write, you may discover a little more about yourself that you previously did not know. Your life story that unfolds on each new page in your journal may fascinate you in different ways.

Examine Your Highs and Lows

Many people who journal on a regular basis will not have major dramatic events to examine more closely, but no life is without its highs and lows. Journaling gives you a chance to capture the events of each passing day as well as to analyze your own feelings about these events. If you choose to share your journal with others, the details of each journal entry can give others a day-by-day account about your own experiences and feelings related to routine days as well as to major life events.

Let It All Out

Many people remember major life events, but they fail to remember important smaller details surrounding those events. They may also forget details about day-to-day life that may actually be relevant and interesting in various ways. Through journaling, you can share the details of your life based on your own observations, and you can also let out all of your feelings. When you read back through the journal at a later date, you can recall in clear detail what your life was like at a certain point.

Explore the Big Picture

Everyone wants to find some meaning in their life. That meaning may be something profoundly important to the community, or it may be a special significance to others who are near and dear to you. Through the retrospection associated with reading through the daily journal entries that you wrote, you may be able to see the big picture of your own life. You can understand the importance of your own life. Others who read your journal and hear about the story of your life in your own words may also gain a deeper understanding about the meaning of your life.

Journaling can be a richly rewarding experience. It is an excellent way to de-stress and to sort through difficult emotions. It also is a way to document the story of your life for yourself and for others. You do not need to be going through some major life event to journal. Each day has its beautiful moments as well as its stressful moments. These are precious moments, and journaling captures each day in vivid clarity and great detail.

Journaling For Your Life

Journaling supports your self-discovery and growth!

Knowing who you are is essential to keeping you on track for personal success and leading a happy, calm life.

If you are ready to be held accountable for putting yourself first it is time to enroll in the interactive course Journaling For Your Life!

Put yourself first so you can be an even better support at home, at work, and to friends, this interactive course is for you!

Enroll Now

Motivation VS Habit in Journaling

Motivation is something many people strive for with journaling and many other activities, but often find that it disappears pretty quickly. Your motivation is what drives you. It gives you something to work toward, it is the reason why you want to complete these goals, and it influences the choices you make. The problem is that it doesn’t last forever, and at a certain point, you need to find another reason to keep going.

This is true of journaling as well. What you want to do is form a journaling habit, instead of relying solely on your motivation.

Motivation is Temporary

This can sometimes be a hard pill to swallow, because you have always been told you just need more motivation to get things done. Motivation to exercise, motivation to reach your goal, motivation to get chores done around your house, motivation to wake up early, and yes, motivation to write in your journal.

Motivation isn’t something that lasts forever; it might come and go multiple times. It gets you started and provides that drive you need to get up and start something new. But, it is temporary. There will always come a point when the motivation fades, and you have to rely on your own willingness to keep going, persistence, and making sure you have built a good habit that you will continue working on

Building a Habit

How do you keep journaling every day if your motivation doesn’t last? You start a habit. While you still want to make sure it is something you enjoy doing and that you benefit from it, you also want to focus on making it a habit. This can take time, but as long as you keep at it, it will soon be something you do every day without even thinking about it.

This is why in the beginning, it is good to be consistent with when and where you journal. Over time, it is great to try new environments and times of the day for journaling, but for that first month, try to simply make it a habit.

You can choose how to do this, such as writing in your journal first thing every morning, bringing it with you to write during your lunch break, or saving it for the end of the day. Choose a time of day you can schedule in and do it around the same time every day, until it becomes a habit where you know it is time to write in your journal.

You may have heard about the health benefits of yoga in improving mental and physical health and improving flexibility, and you might assume that meditation is the same thing. Although meditation can certainly be incorporated into yoga, on its own, it is an entirely different practice.

How Meditation Works

Meditation involves stopping your mind while maintaining a state of awareness. It is much more than sitting and concentrating in a quiet area for a designated amount of time; it involves clearing your mind of thoughts, achieving a deep inward peace, and maintaining alertness in the process.

People often use certain postures, breathing techniques, and even chants to help facilitate the process, but these are not required, and they are not the act of meditation itself, just support tools.

As a beginner, you might consider taking a meditation class (or a yoga class that heavily emphasizes meditation) or invest in a video that introduces you to the concept of meditation and teaches you various techniques for facilitating the process. It does not come as easily for some as it does for others. Achieving a profound, deep sense of self, a “thoughtless alertness,” requires some guidance at first.

Specific Ways That Meditation Improves Health

Not only is meditation one of the very best ways to reduce stress, which is linked to a whole host of health issues and according to the Benson-Henry Institute, 60 to 90% of doctor visits are for conditions that are caused by stress, but Harvard University researchers conducted a study that connects deep relaxation to genetic changes in the body.

They found that “disease fighting genes” are more active in people who regularly practice meditation, compared with people in the control group.

These genes protect the body against a number of health issues, including:

• Heart Disease
• Asthma
• Infertility
• Arthritis
• Various skin conditions
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Meditation even helps to boost immunity, and studies show that cancer patients have recovered more effectively due to meditation and are less at risk for developing another tumor.
• The benefits of stress reduction cannot be overstated.

Meditation makes the body less responsive to stress hormones, which lowers blood pressure, improves blood circulation, improves digestion and immunity, and establishes emotional and neurological “balance.”

How does this work exactly?

It largely comes down to hormones. Stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenalin increase blood pressure and heart rate, while “feel good” chemicals such as serotonin, which are released in a state of relaxation, work to repair cells.

More Health Boosting Benefits Of Meditation

• According to the Benson-Henry Institute, chronic pain patients reduce their physician visits by 36% when they practice regular meditation.
• Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a journal of the American Heart Association, reported in their 2012 issue that a 5 year study on patients who had coronary heart disease found a 48% reduction in deaths, heart attacks, and strokes in those subjects who regularly practiced Transcendental Meditation versus those who did not.
• An analysis of a controlled trial, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine on October 2013 reported significantly greater effect of Transcendental Meditation in reducing anxiety over conventional medical treatments and other forms of meditation and relaxation practices.
• According to Behavioral Medicine, Volume 16, a 50% reduction in visits to HMO doctors was found when a relaxation-response based practice, like meditation is used.

How To Incorporate Meditation Into Your Life

Here are ideas for incorporating meditation into your own life. Beginners could focus on numbers 1 and 2, and over time experiment with the other ideas.

1. Participate In A Group Class. You may be able to find a class in your community specifically dedicated to meditation, but due to popular culture, it may be easier to find a yoga class that heavily focuses on meditation, such as Kundalini Yoga or Ananda Yoga. Many people prefer taking these classes long-term as opposed to meditating by themselves because the group setting helps them to better focus or because they enjoy the sense of community.
2. Use A Video or Audio To Guide Your Meditation. Some meditation videos can be found for free online, such as through YouTube, or you can order a professional DVD or online subscription. If you prefer a mix of yoga and meditation, the best types of yoga to focus on include Kundalini, Ananda, Jivamukti, and Integral. Be sure to check out the free guided meditation file – available at the right of this page.
3. Devote 20+ Minutes In The Morning Or Evening. Research shows that just 20 minutes of consistent meditation sessions can have tremendous health benefits. Make time before your day starts or before you go to bed to meditate. Some people find that their minds are clearer at these times.
4. Use Free Time To Meditate In Nature. Many people find that sitting in nature – under a tree, on top of a mountain, or in a quiet place in the sunshine – helps them to facilitate the meditation process. It’s also a great way to get outside for Vitamin D.
5. Meditate While At Work. This is certainly the most difficult way to meditate because distractions at work can interrupt the process, but many people have been able to achieve a state of meditation while performing job duties. Talk about being dedicated to the cause!

Everyone is different. Experiment with different ways of meditating too see what you like and what comes easiest for you. Also try experimenting at different times of the day and for different periods of time, but aim for at least 20 minutes to reap the most benefit. The health effects on your body are well worth the effort!