The Transformative Powers of Journaling

Life can be stressful.  Between the kids, wife/husband, job and all the extra “bonuses” thrown your way, we can sometimes forget the beauty of why we are here in the first place.  I know this is true for me. Some days, finding the positive can seem like too tall of an order to fill.

You know where I’m at.  Your kids are fighting over every little thing, you forgot to pick up the list of groceries you needed for dinner, you’re late for, well for just about everything and your mood is so sour you could squeeze it into a glass of water like a lemon wedge and drink it straight down.

We all have different ways of dealing with daily stress. I have found that making time to process negative emotions in a meaningful way can be incredibly helpful for steering the ship back in a positive direction. Journaling has become my outlet and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the way it was before.  I actually do three different types of journaling: good ol’ fashioned “write whatever’s on your mind” journaling, gratitude journaling and, more recently, Bible journaling.

Good ol’ fashioned journaling is the perfect outlet when you’re feeling down.  Just grab your notebook, write it down and get it out. Sad, angry, frustrated…. give it to the journal.  It can handle it.  Then close the book and leave those feelings there.  It helps.  Trust me on this one.

Gratitude journaling is a little bit different.  Nothing enters a gratitude journal unless it’s postitive.  Here is the place where you talk about everything you’re thankful for.  Positive attitude is key.  You may have had the crappiest day ever.  But if you can spend 15 minutes with that journal and remind yourself about the beautiful sunrise you saw on the way to work or the fact that your children are all healthy and happy in that moment, it does something for your mood. Pick up and read or add to your gratitude journal any time you need an additional pick me up.  Remember, that even among the chaos of every day life, you are blessed.  Because we truly are; even when life seriously sucks.

Finally, there’s Bible journaling.  I’m fairly new to this form. I’ve been exploring religion on and off my entire life and have always struggled to fully connect even though I long for that relationship.  This form of connection, however, works for me.  Something about the time spent not only being creative, but doing it through God’s word is like a warm, welcoming hug to the soul.  Even if you aren’t religious, the lessons that you can garner from the Bible are truly transformative.  Even better, I do it with a group of women once a week to not only get my journaling time, but also my adult friendship time.

We’re all in it together and we all have those “Argh, when’s it going to be over” kinds of days.  Finding effective ways to cope is the key! So what about you?  What are the ways that you deal with the stress of every day life?  Share what gets you through!