Dec 23, 2020
How writing in a journal can improve the quality of your life
We wake up every single day to make a run at our daily routines. From rushing to the gym, to dropping the kids off at school and then coming back home to find some time for ourselves, sounds like a luxury we can’t afford. But making time, even 10 mins a day for writing down your thoughts can transform your life beyond imagination.
I have maintained a journal for almost a decade now. It’s only in recent years that I have gotten better at maintaining the practice. I now know what all I should write and how I can take time to reflect on my daily activities. The habit has impacted my life in more ways than written in a textbook.
I have made a habit of writing as soon as I wake up. I call it the “Vomit Journal”. “Why”, you ask? Because I wake up to throw out whatever clutter my mind must have had from the day before. It’s so important to release the thoughts on paper. Whether you choose a physical journal to write in or switch on any device, it doesn’t matter, as long as you write.
I think that each day throws events at us, conversations, frustrations, traumas, or happiness, surprises, or any feeling at all. And our cup fills to the brim every day. So, when a new day arrives, our cup is already full up to the brim which does not allow us to come up with new ideas or change our thought process. It is important to empty the cup and refill it with moments that make up a day. If piled up, feelings like anger, grief can get piled up and may drag us for days without realization. As Anne Lister quotes —
“What a comfort is this journal I tell myself to myself and throw the burden on my book and feel relieved.”
Having the Vomit Journal has enabled me to live more mindfully and with ease. When I wake up, I light up the laptop screen to write any thoughts that come up or anything that I feel good/bad about. It’s a clean slate thereafter. A new beginning. The best part is that the thoughts that would bother me during work or study or family time, don’t come up anymore since I have let them out. I have already given them space of their own. Thus, I am mindful of all processes of everyday life.
A lot of people come up to me saying that they don’t know what to write or where to begin. I say, “Just begin”. Write a word, a sentence, your opinion about something that matters to you. It doesn’t have to be well versed or polished. You are writing for yourself, and no one is judging you. Having that self-talk, keeping your options in the form of words clears your head and allows you to make good decisions. So, if you don’t know where to start, start by writing one sentence. With persistence, you will find the quality of your life is elevated. I’ll leave you with this —
“Keeping a journal of what’s going on in your life is a good way to help you distill what’s important and what’s not.” Martina Navratilova
