Journaling is a tool that is always on hand! Process journaling is a tool I often use—and support my clients in using—even though most of us (myself included!) don’t like taking the time to do it. And it does take time and effort! But so does brushing our teeth every day, but we (hopefully) find time to do that twice a day. Just as brushing teeth is an important part of our physical hygiene, journaling as part of our emotional, mental and spiritual hygiene just makes sense. Journaling’s benefits include helping you to get out of your head (versus letting thoughts spin around in the hamster wheel of your mind); allowing you to better focus on the facts of a situation, versus the emotional content and potential projections by you or another; and helping you attune to your own intuition by letting out the clutter and listening for what remains. Unless you’re excited about writing a little every day (and a rare one you are, if that’s true for you!), when is it a good time to journal? Besides “anytime” as the best answer, other times include when you: • Have a question about what to do • Have been triggered by a person or situation • Had a dream that stood out to you • Need help prioritizing your day • Need to forgive • Wand to understand a character trait/pattern in yourself • Want to understand a character trait/pattern in someone else that drives you crazy (why?) • Your mind is racing and you don’t know what to do Building writing time into your schedule, making it a priority in your life, is a must for serious spiritual seekers wanting to learn more about who they are. Here are some tips for setting up a writing practice: 1. Have two journals: One for processing with pages you can tear out and burn, shred, recycle; one for recording your insight, understandings, intuitions. 2. Ask a question about the subject, and write your answer. For example:* a. What emotions am I feeling? b. Who or what pushed my buttons? Who was upsetting me today? c. Does this always happen to me? Is this a pattern in my life? d. When has this happened to me before? e. If I was guided by my soul, rather than being run by my ego, how would I handle things differently? 3. Did you receive your answer? You may not right away. Set aside your journal for now. Resume tomorrow. Whether you prefer using a phone app, keyboard, or good, old-fashioned pen and paper, writing down your insights each day is guaranteed to support your awakening. Taking time to write will help you assimilate new understandings, support the changes you want to make, and help you remove blocks to reaching your spiritual goals. *Questions partially modified from Jane Elizabeth Hart’s amazing little book,Spiritual Power Tools: Support for Your Soul, © 2004, 2009. |
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April 2016
AuthorLynn Barrette, LCSW Blending psychology with spirituality, I offer tools for forgiveness, acceptance, meditation and relaxation, and positive parenting solutions. Categories
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