Journaling is another effective
way to bring you into a state of
mindfulness. Past frustrations and
future anxieties lose their edge
in the present moment. It calls a
wandering mind to attention from
passivity to actively engaging with
your thoughts. You become aware
of the internal chatter and your
emotional state.
Here are some surprising benefits
that might convince and motivate
you to start writing:
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Increases emotional
intelligence
Journaling is an outlet for
processing emotions and
increases self-awareness.
Understanding ourselves allows
for greater awareness of ourself
and therefore the ability to more
effectively self regulate.
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Boosts memory and
comprehension
There’s an interesting relationship
between the hand and brain,
sparked by the composition of
thoughts and ideas. Words are
representations of ideas and the
formation of letters causes the
mind to compose or re-compose
ideas while journaling. This
strengthens previously covered
information and forces you to
engage in cognitive recall.
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Women’s Network Magazine
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Facilitates insights and
‘aha’ moments
To write without thinking can
be a powerful tool. “Stream of
consciousness” writing brings
out thoughts and ideas you never
knew you had by facilitating greater
exploration and expression. Your
mind makes connections and gains
insight where you might have been
struggling before.
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Builds self-confidence
Journaling about a positive
experience allows your brain
to relive it and reaffirm your
abilities when self-doubt appears.
The release of endorphins and
dopamine will boost your self-
esteem and mood and motivate
you to engage in the same or
similar activities in the future.
These reflections can become a
catalogue of personal achievements
that you continue to go back to.
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Achieve goals
Journaling often includes your
dreams and ambitions. Writing
goals signals to your brain “this
is important.” Your reticular
activating system (RAS) then flags
relevant opportunities and tools
to achieve that goal. More detailed
goals provide a psychological
blueprint, and increase the
likelihood of achieving them.
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Mindfulness can be your
super power
by bringing about great awareness
of self and others, enriching
relationships, facilitating learning
and insights, improving performance,
and reducing stress. It's the simple
things done consistently that can
make the biggest difference.
A U T H O R L O R R AI N E S E B A S T I A N
Director, Empowered HR
empoweredhr.com.au