A tool for emotional wellbeing

Chandragupta Mishra

“Whether you’re keeping a journal or writing as a meditation, it’s the same thing. What’s important is you’re having a relationship with your mind.” – Natalie Goldberg (American author and speaker)

It is said that the ingredients to master any language are just four – listening, speaking, reading and writing. We all listen and speak. Reading and writing, though, are not as common. Because most students miss out on these two important skills, they find it difficult to express themselves. To bring back the habit of reading and writing and to help them improve their language, why not adopt an inexpensive tool – journaling?

Journaling is one of the easiest and the cheapest hobbies in terms of monetary investments but its rewards are countless. One simply needs a pen, a diary and the world to interact with. Whether it’s one’s routine, a travelogue or a movie experience, expressing gratitude or reminiscing about a crush, or even writing about your heartbreak. Anything worth your fancy and imagination can be recorded.

Students in school must be asked to maintain a diary, scrapbook or journal. It will not only enhance their sentence construction and linguistic skills, but also bring clarity to their minds.

Why not develop a habit of investing just five minutes into this exercise so that our mind does not carry clutter? It weeds out the unnecessary. It enhances creativity and develops and elevates our diction. As soon as a child gets into this habit he/she will start searching for the apt, perfect and precise words.

What to write?

Goals: Telling your mind everyday about your goals and writing the same in your diary will help them penetrate into the psyche.

Tool for advance planning: Journaling can be used for making plans. Any idea jotted down on paper gives clarity. The pros and cons of an impending decision can be discussed and the available options be systematically vetted. Options for Plan A, B or C can be carefully chalked out.

Therapy: Psychiatrists, the world over, have started prescribing journaling as a way to good mental health. Whatever haunts your mind, whether it is fear, hurt, apprehension, premonition or conjecture, when written, relieves the worries and anxieties and leaves the mind in a good working condition. It certainly boosts your mood.

Take home message: At the end of the day, conclude your diary with positivity and the bright future you envisage.

Writing with gratitude: If one counts one’s blessings one will feel one is the richest and most blessed person on this planet. “I complained to God as I did not have a new pair of shoes for the party, then I saw a lame man thanking the Almighty for his life.” It’s up to us. Journaling when done with gratitude will not only make us happy but also keep us in good humour. There are countless blessings, from getting mother’s love and father’s affection to getting meals in a day, good clothes to wear and good school to attend. All this we take for granted. What if one was born in a refugee camp or in a war-torn country?

How to write?

Today, each man is an island unto himself. The era of deep and true friendships is gone. Here, journaling is a repository for everything – diary as a panacea for all ills.

• W-What: There must be clarity in ‘what’ you want to write about. It could be your feelings, desires or aspirations or it could be something you feel strongly about. It could be about an incident in your day or a news item that might have caught your fancy.
• R-Review: One can reflect on a social issue or ponder over an event. It can be something mundane or a philosophical thought.
• I-Investigate: One can investigate one’s own thought process or idea. Students at this stage develop strong ideals. This could be a point of outlet to look at actions and reactions or for that matter the ‘Domino effect’ of a particular action.
• T-Time: Devoting time in a dedicated, disciplined manner. The Japanese Kaizen technique comes in handy for a changed behaviour. Just set aside five minutes every day before going to bed. It would be the ideal time to free or rather de-clutter the mind for a better tomorrow.
• E-Exit: Always conclude on a positive note, such as ‘I hope it gets better’ or ‘it is for the better’.

How journaling benefits the students

Regular writing will not only make our thoughts concise, it will give our minds a better focus to concentrate on what is important. Life will become more productive and effective.

Stress and time management: At the end of the day, when one sits down to journaling, it de-stresses us. Further, it helps us invest our time judiciously. One is able to identify the time that is wasted and can be used effectively. In a way, when one maintains a list of pending tasks, one can complete the work wisely. The tasks and goals become achievable.

Opens up suppressed emotions: Emotions, and that too suppressed emotions, always trouble us. The draining of emotions in the diary works as an elixir. Bottled up feelings are released.

Journaling and mental health: Journaling works to develop rational and analytical thinking. The mind starts using the left side of the brain as well. Good analysis develops a grasp over a subject and equips us better to take up challenges. In the process we come face to face with our innate strengths and weaknesses, the areas where we need to work upon. The mind not only relaxes, it grows as well. It improves the working memory and keeps depression at bay. The symptoms of loneliness vanish. One begins to enjoy solitude which in itself is a positive attribute.

For adolescents it helps in a number of ways. They can improve their communication skills, both written and oral. It works well for anger management. As the harsh, sad and disgusting moments get diluted in the writing process, the result is a more tranquil and sober person.

What not to write

• Do not write the daily routine.
• Do not write about the negativity surrounding you. Once in a while it’s fine but it should not become a regular feature.
• Keep away from self-absorption or bragging your own horn.

Conclusion
Journaling is all about sharing our thoughts and emotions. Not only can it help in our communication skills but also in us becoming confident. It is a true friend that will never leave our side, listening to our emotions, helping us, guiding us, motivating and inspiring us. We can look back and see our metamorphosis from a caterpillar into a butterfly. It can become our strength and energy booster.

So, what are you waiting for… pen your thoughts…discover yourself and help others discover themselves. Happy Journaling!

Note: Inspired by Courtney Ackerman’s article, 83 Benefits of Journaling for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Management on Journaling (https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/benefits-of-journaling/)

The author has been a teacher for the past 25 years. He is currently working as T.G.T. English at Birla Public School, Pilani. He can be reached at chandraguptabps@gmail.com.