Adjust Your Focus: The power of journaling

Journaling is one of the most searched topics currently and once you know the benefits you'll understand why.

It's not really about the words that you are writing. It's about releasing the hurt pieces of you that continuously weigh on your mind and in your heart. It's where you are able to gain awareness and knowledge. Allowing you to intentionally begin to change habits that you didn't even know were hindering you.

You are moving your thoughts, needs, burdens - all of it - onto paper. You are allowing space to see these things. To recognize and acknowledge them. 

What weighs on our minds typically boils down to how it is making us feel. And a lot of times the feelings or reactions we have towards things is because of how it is relating to us personally and the experiences or traumas we endured over our lifetime.

You can journal about anything really. A peek into your day, a difficult situation or any symptoms or emotions you are experiencing, a gratitude list, mantras and affirmations, etc. No matter what you choose to do, the greatest gift of journaling is recognition. The advantage of putting it on paper is a new point of view.

Your journal can become a log of everything happening inside you or your life. Even if you were to only journal quotes that moved you written by other people. You will likely see a trend of what's really going on within because on some level you have identified with those words enough to include them in your journal.

My personal favorite form of journaling is gratitude journaling. I fill a page of things I am currently grateful for that I already have. From the air I breathe to the roof over my head. This kind of journaling can change your emotional state in an instant from sad, lonely or just not your best to feeling hopeful, inspired and motivated to change.

"Gratitude makes sense of the past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." - Melody Beattie

Journaling can become an essential part to your healing journey because it can reveal patterns of behaviors and emotions. It can help you identify triggers and your reactions. Help you to become aware of where boundaries need to be placed. Help you find your inner voice and begin to trust your instincts instead of ignoring them. Changing perspective and seeing things differently to grow empathy for yourself and others.

So stop stressing about yesterday or worrying about tomorrow. Be present today and start journaling it out.

Jenny Meyer is the news writer for the Eclipse News-Review. You can e-mail her at news@parkersburgeclipse.com.