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Experience the healing power of the pen. By M.B. Perez
Reprinted by permission from http://healthtoday.net.
 Many of us kept a diary. We wrote about how unreasonable our parents were, how our crush finally noticed we existed, about being scolded by that terror of a teacher, or sneaking out with friends. Earthshaking matters. Then we actually grew up and the diary we now keep is littered with deadlines, appointments and a long list of to-dos. Burdened with so many responsibilities, who has time to sit down and write?
Well, recent studies suggest that it's in your best interest to find time to write, and not just about what happened to you at work or long grocery list. Keeping a journal, or "journaling", is like having a conversation with yourself, says Amy P. Cavosora, author of "How To Soulsearch", a workbook on practical spirituality.
When you're trying to talk to yourself through writing, things become clear, says Cavosora, who also counsels and conducts meditation classes. That sense of clarity is good news for your well-being.
James W. Pennebaker, M.D., a professor of psychology at the University of Texas in the United States, observed that healthy people who wrote about stressful events in their lives stayed healthier compared to those who wrote about mundane topics.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Joshua M. Smythe, Ph.D., concluded that even people with illnesses benefit from journaling. The condition of almost half (47percent) of patients with asthma and rheumatoid arthritis improved after they wrote about the most traumatic event in their lives. Talk about releasing those toxins.
Write it down
When you write in a journal, you record your experiences and express your emotions, insights, fears, dreams and every-thing you deem important. "When you're writing in your journal, anything goes, there's no fear of being judged or being rejected," says Brenda Abarabar, a 28-year-old trainer for the largest Asia-based call center. It's a good sanity-recovery activity, she adds.
Here are some of the ways keeping a journal can help you:
More me time. After a hectic day attending to the needs at the office or at home, we tend to overlook our own. Writing in a journal means tuning into your mind and body. Physically, you slow down and exercise your mind by expressing your thoughts on paper.
Reduces stress. When tension mounts, having an outlet like a journal lessens the chance of feeling stressed and overwhelmed. "Journaling helps me let out steam. It's very helpful when you want to yell your lungs out but can't," says Brenda. It helps clear my mind of some really big problems, especially when I write down in detail all those things that cause my anxiety, she adds. Writing helps put things ?in perspective and spares you from screaming.
Helps you focus and organize. According to Doreene Clement, author of "The 5 Year Journal," keeping a journal creates more personal awareness, and therefore more focus on the issues that are important to you.
Sets goals. In January 2004, I made a list of things I wanted to do: fix my passport, travel to a country in Asia I haven't been to, get a pension plan and just do something new every month. I even marked that page of my journal with those goals. By the end of 2004, I accomplished all four; being able to go back to what I wrote every time I took out my journal certainly helped. When you write down what's important, you can't help but set goals to support it. And when you write it down, it's like making a written pact with yourself.
Improves self-awareness and understanding. "Keeping a journal for so long has made me more self-aware, "says Brenda. "It makes for an interesting read years later, especially when you realize that the kinds of issues you have in life seem to have a pattern they just change in terms of complexity as you get older. That aware-ness of the past can teach us how to cope with the present and the future.
In her book, Clement says that journaling can be a wonderful tool to help better understand yourself and the world that surrounds you.
Helps you connect better. Being able to communicate regularly with yourself through journaling helps you to communicate with other people. People who journal have an urge to connect. When you journal, you come to terms with your own feelings. I believe that makes you more compassionate.
A journal is simply a tool
Journaling helps, especially when you're processing issues, but you reach a point when you should be applying what you've learned, says Cavosora. In her book, Cavosora doesn't just pose questions for readers to answer in their journals. It is useless if someone simply stops at writing. You have to balance your thinking, feeling and doing for journaling to really help you. Keeping a journal serves its ultimate purpose when we put down our pens to continue experiencing and enjoying life.
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