Your New BFF: Your Journal
Got something on your chest? Maybe you’ve been dying to tell someone off? Or on a lighter note, you might feel like shouting from the hilltops about your newfound love.
Well, without starting World War III or looking absolutely bonkers, I’d like to introduce you to your new BBF (Translation in kid slang: Best Friend Forever). Everyone needs a BFF. Get ready to share your inner and deepest thoughts with…your journal.
Sometimes using a journal is better and safer than using your ‘real life friends’ for a therapy session. Well, you could lose them in the long run (if you are a constant complainer. LOL) No one likes to feel drained after they get off the phone with you, so go out and get a journal!
Okay, fellas reading this don’t start! Journaling is not just something little 12-year-old girls do when they want to babble about the cutest boy down the block. It’s an absolutely freeing exercise that allows you to be open and honest with yourself and explore your deepest feelings. Ladies, you might agree…a man who journals, is well…kinda sexy. He’s showing that he’s not afraid to get to know himself a bit better. That really goes for everyone. ~a-hem~When you journal, you are dedicating time to your self-improvement. A person who knows who they are is always appealing!
Journaling is one of the best “Me Time Rituals” out there that will allow you to tap into your emotions and get to know yourself better. If you are a person that has been soooo “busy” that you can’t even remember what your dreams used to be, soooo busy that you have become a bill-paying- robot…it’s time, my friend. It’s time to inspire yourself and also analyze your life.
I know, I know..Heavy stuff, but trust me, if you never doodled your thoughts in a notebook before, there’s no time to start like now.
HOW DO I BEGIN?
The best time to journal is in the morning or night. You’ll know what works best with your schedule. I’m a morning person, so it’s a great way for me to start my day. I’ve made it such a habit that I actually feel off balanced if I don’t spend at least 15 minutes each morning journaling and meditating. It’s become apart of my every day just as showering and brushing my teeth.
DO IT WHEN IT WORKS!
To Start Your Day:
• Journal about what you’d like to accomplish for the day
• How you feel?
• What’s bothering you?
• What your proud of?
• Write a few affirmations over and over: i.e.:
1. Life comes to me with ease, joy and abundance.
2. I’m happy and grateful for….
3. Anything I want is attainable, because I OWN my power! (my personal favorite)
To End Your Day:
• Review the day’s events and share with your new best friend
• How do you feel?
• What are some things you’d like to do?
• Get anything off your chest, so you don’t take it out on the rest of us innocent bystanders. LOL
The Benefits of Journaling:
• Free Therapy! It’s an affordable method of self-therapy. It might feel crazy at first, but believe me it really feels good when you can release things. Think about how much happy people would be if we ALL did this?
• You can work through stressful events without letting it build up. One of the major benefits is that it’s great way to release negativity. A blank page in your journal is where you can let loose your rage, anger, disappointment with a person or situation and feel better one you get it all out. The paper might have deep imprints from hard writing; but hey, better the paper than the person!
• Think though solutions to problems.
• Positive role-playing: Have fun and focus on your future. Write out creative stories as if they already happened.
Examples:
1. I’m so happy that my husband is now in my life. He’s so loving, affectionate and supportive… (You might be single now)
2. The business is booming! My accountant just showed me the numbers and we grossed $450,000 this year. Yahooooo! (You might just be launching your new business this year.)
3. I have a circle of supportive friends who are so much fun to be around. (Maybe you have toxic friends that drain your energy now.)
This connection with yourself will allow you to tap into your unconscious and connect with your inner spirit. The overall benefit is that it’s an investment in yourself. Taking time to focus on your personal development only makes you a better person. Journaling requires NO SKILL, NO WRITING BACKGROUND, and NO DEGREE. All you need is some paper and a pen so you can record your dreams, desires, and thoughts.
Tools Needed:
• Your favorite pen
• Notebook or Journal: Get a fancy one that represents you. Barnes and Nobles and Target have some very nice ones for about $10-15. My personal favorite is the Planahead brand from Wal-Mart for about $6. They are HUGE and last pretty long and I write A LOT! Lastly, you can go very basic and black and white 100 page composition notebook for $1.50 from the supermarket! It’s up to you…
Find the Time:
• Find a quiet place you write for 10-30 minutes each day.
• Attempt at least three pages a day. It doesn’t have to be eloquent or even grammatically correct. Your new best friend doesn’t care if you can’t spell either. Just write your heart and hey.. it’s okay to wine, rant, and babble.
Lastly and most importantly, remember to keep it in a safe place. Some people even carry it with them to work though out their day in case they need a “moment”. Again, it’s the best free therapy around!
Have loads of fun on your new writing adventures. You’ll thank me later! LOL
Own Your Power,
Simone
Visit Simone on BlackPlanet.com to hear special podcast click here.
