Journaling is one of the most beneficial tools in your self development kit and when it comes to boosting your happiness it is a great daily habit to adopt.
Career Coach Fiona Moss
Career Coach Fiona Moss explains the benefits of journaling on a daily basis and how this can support you to process your thoughts, feelings and experiences to support you to become focused, productive and ultimately happier. Moreover, it is time for you to process what is happening in your life and get connected to what you want to create more of.
Fiona commented “Not only is journaling beneficial when it comes to organising your thoughts, it encourages routine and when done in the morning, it can spark further productivity throughout your day. It propels you toward your goals and helps you bring your vision to life by reflecting on the action you need to take whilst also overcoming what is holding you back.”
1) Journaling provides you with an opportunity for consistent reflection.
When done on a daily basis, journaling promotes and enhances your happiness levels in a way that inconsistent journaling simply can’t match.
Physically writing down your thoughts each day means you are processing them as they happen and this can help you to identify things that would otherwise go unnoticed, such as patterns in your thinking and the influences behind your feelings and behaviour. You get to know yourself on a whole different level. What is making you happy? What might be triggering you? Where do you need to make changes so you can move forwards?
2) It helps you to navigate difficult situations and reduce stress levels
Think of journaling as an act of self-care. It can help to reduce your daily stress levels because you are managing anything that is coming up for you rather than letting it build up and become unmanageable. We all experience stressful situations which can bring up different emotions. Getting these down on paper can help you to manage what is happening and your reactions in a healthy way. Journaling helps to calm and clear the mind, so you feel more in control.
3) When we are grateful, we feel happier
Journaling boosts your long-term well-being and gives you a shift in perspective. It not only helps you to process difficult or limiting beliefs and situations, it helps you to tap into positive emotions and feel an enhanced sense of gratitude. Increasing your optimism in turn directly impacts the approach you take in many situations (especially challenging ones).
How to start a journaling practice
● Set aside time each day that works for you – it can be morning or evening or both – start simply with 5 minutes. Don’t commit to anything more, at the beginning focus on just setting the habit and then building from there.
● Go to a quiet space, clear your space of distraction (yes put away your phone). A great time to journal is after meditating when your mind is a little clearer.
● If you struggle to start, use prompts, Fiona frequently shares prompts on her IG, so if you feel stuck go there to start, or drop her a DM if you can’t find them.
● Don’t overthink it, all you are doing is writing down what is in your head - that’s it.