7 Ways Journaling Can Change Your Life (Even if You Hate Writing)

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We all know the cliche the pen (or in this case the pencil) is mightier than the sword. What you may not know is learning how to write a journal and embracing the written word can literally change your life (even if you HATE writing).

Now don’t shake your head think that I am nuts and close out the screen. Hear me out. Even though I am now writer extraordinaire. That has not always been the case, I will give you a shocking confession. I used to HATE writing; with a capital “H”.

Even with my seething hate for putting pencil to paper, journaling over the years has literally changed my life. I would even go so far to say at some point it has saved my life. That’s why I am passing my journaling tips onto you, so you learn to embrace the power of your own words and what to learn more about how to write a journal.

I’ve been journaling off and on my whole life. When life was too much for me to handle, it was the safety of a pencil in my hand that seemed to calm the world down again even if it was just for that moment. Getting all that angst and confusion out of my brain and onto the page helped me learn to cope a little bit better in a world full of confusion.

My first journal was probably at about 8 years old. It was the year that I learned to write in cursive, and I was quite proud of the fact my teacher though I had the best handwriting in the class. (Though I have to say my teacher would be sadly disappointed almost thirty years later).

My journal was my secret escape. It was where I could get all of the clutter out of my head so I didn’t carry the weight of it around with me all day long. Sure we see those cute movies showing girls professing “Dear Diary.” It may seem like a childhood notion, but journaling is a really important tool that has taken me from a mere girl without a clue about her identity to a self confident woman that for the first time can safely say she is truly happy with who she is and what she stands for.

 

That’s the power of journaling. Something as simple as putting a pencil to the page and writing without judgement can help bring you clarity and help you find those answers you are probably look outside yourself for. Sometimes you don’t need the universe to answer for you, you just need to forget the self judgement and hash things out in a journal. Don’t believe me? Then listen my fourth episode of the Quirky Inspired podcast. Author Julia Cameron preaches about the power of morning pages and how they have helped her figure out who the heck she is. She’s sold TONS of books so her advice must have something behind it, right?!

To get you started on learning how to journal, I’ve put together the 10 reasons why journaling can change your life. These are all things that I have seen within my own life. It wasn’t until I put faith in giving journaling a true try that my life really started to turn around. Now I have an addiction to awesome journals and mechanical pencils and pens (hello, BIC) that might put me on a episode of hoarders, but that’s ok I will never run out of pages to write on.

7 Ways Journaling Can Change Your Life (Even When You Hate Writing)

Clearing the Mental Crazy: We have thousands and thousands of internal conversations with ourselves EVERY DAY. When things are really bothering you, they tend to play on loop in your head! Putting that pencil to paper can help get it out of your head so you can reflect on it later.

Encourages You Time: Carving out time to journal every day forces you to find time for yourself, even if it is only 5-10 minutes a day.

Clarity: Journaling can really help you find clarity. After you’ve written for a few weeks, go back and read your journal. What trends do you see? What do you wish would change in your life? Do you feel like you can find a resolution to those things? Over time you will see patterns and help form steps to get your life where you want it to go.

Figure out who YOU are: This kind of goes along with clarity, but through the journaling process you begin to see a little bit more of yourself. It helps you figure out what is important to you and what isn’t. Sometimes it can be hard to see yourself objectively but by putting your thoughts on paper it’s much easier.

Perspective is so important: When you are in the heat of things, it’s hard to see the wider world. Something may feel like the end of the world at that very moment causing you to make rash decisions. Looking back on those hard times, can help give you perspective. At the time you might’ve thought it was the most awful thing ever and that you couldn’t figure out a solution, but going back to you journal and seeing how you felt when you aren’t upset can teach you how to handle it better the next time.

Self Empathy: People are very complex. There are so many different aspects of ourselves. Journaling can really teach you self empathy and release you from all the self judgement you have on yourself. When you go back and read your journal, read it as if a friend wrote it. What advice would you give that friend for next time? Would you beat that friend up over that situation or would you be supportive and empathetic? Self empathy and understanding can open up a WHOLE new world to you. This is probably the ONE most important thing that I have learned from journaling.

The All Elusive Balance: Most of us struggle to find balance. Learning how to journal can help you find a “balance” that makes you happier. Personally, I don’t think balance is truly a thing. We just find the combinations of things in life that keep us somewhere between happy and losing our mind. We are constantly searching for that equilibrium. Journaling is the number one way that I’ve found this equilibrium for just a little bit longer. It’s what has helped me change my entire life around.

Journaling is like discovering who you are slowly and surely one page at a time. It is the cheapest way to figure out who you are and what you stand for. All it costs is an awesome journal and a pack of BIC mechanical pencils. (which by the way run around $2 or less) I’ve been journaling for so long that I covet my pencil and journal collection. It’s like a way I put a little fun into a routine that has become very near and dear to my heart.

Because of my journaling, I’ve started to notice that my kids are doing it too. That’s why I get them fun little surprises to encourage them to journal. Bayla is in love with the BIC Xtra Sparkles pencils. (That girl has always been about the sparkle)

Even in the digital age, take the time to write with your hand. It’s like a little bit of your soul going out the end of that lead. Sure typing is great, but there is something about yourself that you can see in your handwriting that you just can’t see on the typed page.

BIC understands the passion of writing. That’s why they are doing the #BICFightforYourWrite campaign! They are encouraging kids and their families to get passionate about handwriting. You can even enter to win $1,200 BIC Prize Package when you check out their BIC Fight for Your Write Sweepstakes to help celebrate BIC’s 30th Anniversary. (8/16 Giveaway: No Purch Nec., U.S. only, 18+. Ends 8/16/15)