Why Journaling is Important
written by Gonçalo Luz
Why Journaling is Important for Me
Do you want to know why journaling is important for me? Let’s go back a few years then. It is now 2020 and Covid dictates how we live our lives. If there is one thing, besides my yoga practice, study and walks in nature, that helps me keep my sanity in the hardest moments of isolation during Covid lockdowns, it is the practice of journaling.
I was living by myself during those days in a tiny prefab house I had rented a few months before the second wave, in Relíquias, the Southwest of Portugal. Surrounded by the silence of nature in the winter, I sometimes grappled with negative emotions, navigating the depths of my thoughts. It was within the pages of a notebook, a journey diary in which I wrote every day, that I found comfort, clarity, and a pathway to understanding myself amidst the chaos, as I wrote about my thoughts and feelings. It felt like sharing with a close friend: myself, through the pages of that notebook.
Journaling helped me throughout dark moments. It held profound potential when I was seeking clarity, self-understanding and regulation. It offered me a sacred and intimate space for introspection, growth, and self-exploration. Through the process of writing down thoughts and feelings, journaling helped me unearth struggles, emotions, deeper thoughts, limiting beliefs, and charted a course towards deeper self-awareness.
What is journaling?
Journaling is much more than just jotting down daily events or fleeting thoughts. It’s a deliberate practice of self-expression, reflection, and exploration. Whether through structured prompts or free intuitive flow, journaling invites us to unravel the layers of our psyche, confront inner demons, and celebrate triumphs. So journaling is not merely about venting frustrations or cataloging achievements: it’s also about tapping into both our unconscious and subconscious, unveiling to ourselves through writing the truths that lie dormant within.
Journaling promotes deeper understanding of one's deepest thoughts and feelings, desires, values, passions, patterns, and purpose. It lays the groundwork for a life imbued with awareness, self-growth, meaning and authenticity.
Statistics reveal a burgeoning interest in journaling among men seeking to navigate the complexities of modern life. A survey conducted by The National Journal Writing Month (NaJoWriMo), 45% of male respondents reported using journaling as a tool for self-reflection and personal growth, citing benefits such as increased self-awareness and improved mental well-being.
The house in Relíquias, South-West Portugal, where I lived in retreat throughout confinement
Can journaling help with mental health?
According to a study published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology, journaling has been linked to improved emotional intelligence, stress reduction, and enhanced problem-solving skills. Furthermore, research published in the Journal of Psychological Science highlights the correlation between journaling and enhanced emotional regulation, indicating its potential to empower individuals in managing stress and cultivating resilience, thus improving men’s mental health.
Journaling and men’s work
In the context of men's work, journaling serves as a cornerstone for personal growth and development. A journey diary offers a space for men to explore their innermost thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. In men's groups and workshops dedicated to self-discovery, journaling is often encouraged as a catalyst for vulnerability and self-awareness.
One journaling technique that is often cultivated as a self-exploration exercise in men’s work is intuitive writing, also known as free intuitive flow. This practice encourages individuals to bypass their rational minds and connect with their inner wisdom through uninhibited expression. By relinquishing control and surrendering to the flow of consciousness, men can access deeper insights, untangle emotional knots, and embark on a journey of profound self-discovery.
Journaling is not a quick fix or a magic bullet, but rather a sacred ritual that invites men to open to vulnerability, confront shadows, and embrace the full spectrum of their own humanity, and this is why journaling is important.
A participant of a men’s retreat on motorcycles, takes some alone time for journaling
What journaling can do for you
Journaling served me as a sacred space for introspection and self-exploration during challenging moments, guiding me towards deeper self-awareness by allowing me to navigate my darkest moments, thoughts and feelings, through the exercise of my writing in my journey diary.
Why journaling is important? The benefits of journaling extend far beyond the realm of self-reflection: they permeate every facet of our lives. From cultivating resilience in the face of adversity to fostering empathy in our relationships, the act of putting pen to paper while journaling transcends its physical manifestation, leaving an indelible mark on our psyche and spirit. As we navigate the complex and at times painful labyrinth of life, the transformative power of journaling can guide us through difficulties and struggles. For in the quietude of our inner sanctuaries, amidst the chaos of the external world, in the exercise of letting thoughts and feelings flow into the pages of a notebook, lies the key to unlocking our deepest selves.
What truths lie dormant within the pages of your journal, waiting to be unveiled?
