Journaling Your Thoughts
The Art of The Written Expression
Words can take many forms to express the lingering thoughts or experiences that happen to us.
I remember my fifth-grade teacher advising the importance of writing in a journal. He would ask the question how did the book make us feel. We would open our imagination and write without judgment. I have forgotten how writing my thoughts on paper helped me on the path of healing.
How did writing help me?
Growing up, I did not have a nurturing place to express my emotions or experiences. I grew up in a broken family with dysfunctional coping mechanisms of fear and abuse. The abuser hides the physical and mental abuse by warning me to keep the abuse secret as my responsibility to keep the family together. Growing up alone hiding the scars of the physical and verbal abuse throughout most of my life. My coping mechanism was to store the traumas in a closet and move on with my life. The trauma leaves you in your mind without having an outlet to express the pain and mental trauma you experienced.
Yes, I was a broken human inside myself and learned to hide it well from the rest of the world. I picked up an empty notebook and started writing how my day went and was able to express the feelings of hurt, anger, sadness, anxiety, hopes, and dreams. Writing has helped me face the deep-seated fears that affected my present life. It's a safe place to express your feelings without judgment of what other people may think of you. It's a safe place to let go of all the things that cause discomfort and pain. Express the anxiety, fears, stressors, and how it made you feel. To see the words express the hidden emotions on paper and to view them in front of you. The pain and hurt are exposed and no longer hidden.
Where to start?
Take a moment at any time during the day to let the pen express your feelings. Use the words to express your feelings that are lingering inside yourself. Don't worry about correct grammar it's only between you and the journal. The entries can be short or long. You are free to express your feelings. Your emotions do matter, even if the world may not notice it.
Write about your dreams and hopes for a better future. The simple gratitude of waking up and being alive. Let your imagination open the world of possibilities that you thought wouldn't be possible. Look beyond the invisible four walls of your life and believe anything is possible. Let fear take a back seat and write about the future of positive possibilities.
Reflection Time
Take the time to look back at your previous logs and see how your feelings change from one day to the next. You can ask yourself:
- How can you identify the triggers that caused the emotional reaction?
- Did the reaction come from a past event that is influencing the present?
Don't let fear keep you from facing the negativity of the emotions. Give yourself credit for taking the steps to heal day by day. Provide to yourself compassion for the pain you feel. Remember, you are worthy of compassion and love. It's time to break free from the invisible chains of the past. You are worthy of love and happiness. It's time to live and let the sunshine light the dark corners of your life.
Medical studies have shown that writing helps people express their emotions on paper. Writing helps heal a person going through a tough time in their lives. It's time to be free from the past. Wishing all much love and compassion from the universe.