Journaling For Self Davelopment | Advice

By silverfox63
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The art of journaling is probably one of the most under rated but simple and profound personal development techniques that anyone could ever do. It is the simplicity of the method that is the main reason why people often overlook this powerful tool. The sheer act of writing out all your thoughts, emotions and concerns onto paper literally gets them out of you to a place where they can be acknowledged and examined from a totally different and often new perspective. This can create the correct emotional distance to view these emotions from a more empowered position which obviously is hugely advantageous from a self-development point of view.

You see all the time we are enveloped in a problem we become completely associated to it and we cant seem to find any new information about it whereas when we view things as if we are outside of it we are able to be more dispassionate about it. This is why we are able to sort out other peoples problems a lot easier than our own because we have the luxury of being outside of it and therefore seeing more of it.

So how exactly would you journal so that it makes some difference? Well one of the best ways is just to start writing or go into free flow as it is known, you can write and write as it keeps on coming at you until you feel it has come to its natural end. Other people tend to use certain journaling techniques though, for example, writing out the very specifics as it relates to a stressful event seem to help many people to rid themselves of the negativity in the same way as you might describe something to a counselor or a friend. This does a lot to clarify their thoughts and feelings thereby gaining valuable self-knowledge in the process. Believe it or not but journaling can be used for traumatic memories and as you write them out again and again it can start to defuse them and give you some much needed emotional release.

Even people without emotional issues can benefit greatly from journaling as there is documented evidence that the process can help with health problems. For example there is evidence that people with asthma can have reduced attacks by journaling regularly, it can greatly improve cognitive functioning in the elderly and also enhance the immune system when you are unwell.

In a nutshell then journaling can assist us by reviewing highly charged emotional material and integrating it. Offer us a tool to change our moods and can give us objective distance form difficult feelings so that we can better deal with them. And all you need is a pen and some paper

About the Author

Lee James Heather is the webmaster of Growthjunction An ever changing personal development resource that assists you with an A-Z of self-growth.

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