“Writing a journal can take you to your personal secret garden, where you experience the flowers that bloom, you know where the weeds are, and you know where the keys are hidden.” – Sheila. P. Brooks
Some people say:
“Journaling is a waste of time.”
“How do I start?”
“I was never a good writer.”
“I don’t have the time to journal.”
Well, for me, journaling is one of those things that I just cannot do without. It’s a practice that I have been doing now for a number of years and it’s my chance to express myself in confidence, to record my feelings and experiences and to privately release thoughts and insights. I’m definitely an avid advocate of journaling. Anyone can do it, it can be done anywhere and it’s extremely good for your general health, wellbeing and quality of life.
So….. Let’s look more closely at what journaling is and how to effectively journal.
There are so many benefits to journaling. Apart from helping you to recover from the stressors of life, it can help you move forward positively towards your goals and bring your dreams into reality. By getting all of your emotions onto paper, you express yourself and bring clarity and focus as well as release tensions and resistance to particular issues. It can also highlight irregularities, feelings and hidden patterns of behaviour.
If you are feeling conflicted or confused about a situation take it to your journal to either express your feelings or try to unravel the reason for your confusion by listing points.
The part about journaling that I enjoy best
Is looking back through my journal to see the positive changes that I’ve made over time and my shift in perspective since the time of the original journal entry. At the moment, I’m having quite a few dreams and spiritual experiences, which are of course in my journal.
Broadly speaking, journaling can be used in a variety of ways and can look different for each person. Yet everyone will agree that the outcomes are always positive.
It can help you:
Release thoughts which are disturbing and confusing;
Record events or major milestones;
Make connections between your feelings and behaviours, and;
Allow you to express yourself in private in ways that you perhaps wouldn’t in public.
Surprisingly, journaling can:
Improve your mood and shift you from a negative mindset to a more positive one;
Give you a sense of wellbeing;
Manage your stress;
Allow you to connect with your inner self;
Highlight hidden motives, thoughts and emotions;
Make you more self-aware, and;
Allows you to put things into perspective.
All of which improve your mental health.
For anyone who currently journals or is planning to, here are a few good practice tips to help:
Write in a private space that is free from distractions.
Write when you feel the need to unless you want to regularise your journaling, then do it daily.
Write about anything that you feel is right. There are no rules.
Don’t worry about your handwriting, spelling or grammar. You (or anyone you choose) are the only ones looking at your journal.
Protect your privacy and keep your journal in a special place away from prying eyes.
Write about your feelings. Journaling is a positive experience, even if negative things are recorded. The overall aim of journaling is positive and therapeutic.
Have a special book for journaling. This gives your journaling notes a special place of their own and raises the significance of journaling.
Date every entry. This is a very important point, one that you only realise when you decide to look back at your journal entry and find that you forgot to date it and can’t remember when it took place.
If you don’t like using pen and paper, you can always journal on your laptop or other similar devices. You can even use your phone.
Tell yourself the truth. This is the essence of journaling. There is no one to fool apart from yourself!
Read your entries, weeks, months even years after you have written them. It will give you a good sense of where you have (or haven’t) made progress.
Don’t hold back. Write in free flow, keep it simple and natural. Remember that there are no rules. Let the words flow from you to the book. Don’t stop in between. Just let it flow.
Use lines, circles, squiggles, whatever you want to make the ideas flow. You don’t even have to complete sentences or words.
‘I feel incredible. I feel inspired. Thank you, Sheila, for your inspiration.”
Nicole
‘The things you write are so beautiful. You are an inspiration.”
Yvevvy
‘Q: How can I practice peacefulness and happiness and not let other people’s words hurt me?
A: Words can do nothing to you unless you allow them. Work on your inner strength, your worthiness and on what makes you happy... Thank you for the advice. You came at just the right time.”
Tay
‘Sheila has that special gift of calming your soul. I was feeling overwhelmed then with my life. I feel that every effort I make doesn't make sense and there is a pressure that I can't define in my life. After our sessions, I was able to sort things out. The conversations we had, lead me to where the pressure is coming from. I am grateful that I reached out to Sheila during my "confused" times. I wish Sheila more success on this. May you touch more souls as you progress!”
Joy
‘I was expecting the sessions with Sheila where she would advise and give me directions to take to make my
life happy and more secure. She instead taught me how to choose my own directions and grow as a person for
unlimited happiness and abundance. I discovered that I could be far more than I originally thought I could
be. I have gained a lot more than I expected from spiritual life coaching with Sheila. This is just the start
of the new me. Thank you, Sheila.”
Kumar
‘Sheila has great experience of helping people reconnect with themselves to find their true purpose, she has a patient and highly intuitive way of uncovering the blocks that are frustrating growth and development, releasing you to move towards your goals. Let her give you clarity and focus, so you can have a better life.”
Adrian
‘I would need a great deal more space to describe all the positive, life-changing things that Sheila has introduced me to. I am amazed at her thoughts on relationships, freedom, forgiveness, planning. There were numerous other things that she helped me bring to the fore. The discovery of thoughts and opinions I was carrying was so enlightening. Sheila has an easy, patient and highly intuitive manner. Giving guidance without leading, easily helping me to understand myself deeply. To be allowed to discuss things so openly with someone I felt I could trust was a revelation in itself. The strong trust created in our sessions was key to enabling me to think, to grow and to make my decisions. I now look forward to dealing with situations. Sheila is a fantastic coach… highly recommended.”
Patrick
‘Sheila Pryce Brooks is the real deal in Spiritual Coaching. She has the kindest, most authentic personality and uses her unique and extraordinary talents to help lovingly guide you through your self-imposed limitations. She was so very helpful to me with a situation that was keeping me 'stuck' and allowed me to see that this was just temporary, while guiding me to release the block, freeing me to move forward toward my vision.
Without Sheila, I would have still be wandering around a little longer in that place!! I am grateful for all of your help!”
Lianna
‘After speaking with Sheila for even a short amount of time, her healing and calming nature became immediately clear to me. She is able to read between the lines and get to the heart of your needs. She gives clear direction and instills a sense of inner confidence. It felt effortless to engage with Sheila and almost as if I was talking with a good friend-her insight and calming presence is truly a gift.
”
21/September/2019
Some people say:
Broadly speaking, journaling can be used in a variety of ways and can look different for each person. Yet everyone will agree that the outcomes are always positive.
Hallo, thank you for the great insights. I’ii keep on following. God bless you abundantly.
Thank you for your support. All the best.