People tend to think that to get the most out of their day they need to be constantly doing something productive from the moment they wake up until the moment they crash in their bed at night. While filling up your schedule feels productive, it can prevent opportunities for self-reflection, which is necessary for personal growth. Yes, you could go to a therapist and they could guide you through a self-reflection for personal growth, but what if you could do it yourself in the comfort of your own dorm? I have found journaling to be an excellent way to reflect upon my interactions and emotions by trying to understand both the strengths and struggles of my day.
Journaling about interactions with friends, family, and coworkers can help strengthen your relationships. Just as a therapist helps guide you through an analysis about your feelings from the day, so does journaling lead you to an understanding of the deeper struggles you may be wrestling with. Journaling allows you to process your day and ask questions about it. You may ask why an interaction was positive or negative, why you responded to a situation a certain way, or even how a specific experience made you feel. Since I work multiple jobs that include long hours of working directly with people and maintaining relationships, I have learned to journal about both the positive and negative interactions. By continually writing about why I believe certain interactions were positive or negative, I am able to recognize my social and emotional weaknesses by reflecting on the different aspects of my day.
Journaling also allows time for personal development in faith through scripture and prayer. It allows time for sitting and meditating on scripture passages and analyzing meaning and considering life applications. Journaling also provides space for God to speak to you through His Word. Writing through scripture and prayers enables me to recognize that God is in control of my life, which helps reduce stress. Journaling on a certain section of scripture allows me to concentrate on the Word of God. When journaling, I reflect on the struggles I am going through, which makes me recognize that I need to rely on God and remember that He will make the difficult things in life into something good for His plan. Additionally, by taking the time to reflect through journaling I am reminded of all of the good things that are happening in my life. I am also reminded that God does bring good from my sufferings.
By taking just a half hour at the end of your day to journal, you force yourself to think through and remember all of the experiences of the day. This reflection allows you to ask questions about your your feelings and experiences and to discover more about yourself. Writing helps create complete and comprehensive thoughts about your experiences instead of just glancing over them in your memory. If you’re considering therapy, you might also consider starting a journaling habit: Take time to write down your thoughts and process them because it might guide you to the same conclusions about yourself. Processing the day allows you to grow and develop socially, mentally, and spiritually by taking the time to ask questions and write down comprehensive thoughts about your experiences. Your journal becomes your therapist by creating a time and space to reflect, analyze, and question your thoughts on the day. This reflection process guides you to a deeper understanding of yourself.