Journaling has always been an integral part of the Lotus Project and Jane does a great job inspiring this habit. Enjoy! LP
Why Journaling is so beneficial?
Have you ever started a journal because everyone tells you how beneficial it is but never seem to be able to stick with it?
Journaling or writing isn’t for everyone.
Like any habit it takes a little time to become a regular part of your life, although the benefits can be immediate. I would like to share a few of the benefits with you.
A women moved into a new area recently with her family. She didn’t know many people and she was feeling a little lost and rudderless with no direction.
She started writing in a journal. She set her alarm to 4.30am each day, before anyone else in the house stirred. She would curl up on her verandah with her thoughts and her pen and write for 30min.
She described it as transformational.
“The pages aren’t intended for anyone but me. It’s the most cost-effective therapy I’ve ever found.” - Tim Ferris
Journaling helps you remember
Many original thinkers from our generation kept journals – Oscar Wilde, Anne Frank, Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison and others.
The brain is like a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes.
In an article by Thomas Oppong “The 50/50 Rule”, he refers to the Feynman Technique, a model coined by Nobel-prize winning physicist Richard Feynman. The premise is that you learn best by teaching. In other words when you read something repeat it out loud. It strengthens the connections in the brain, so you can recall them more easily in the future.
Speaking strengthens these connections and so does writing it down. This is where journaling helps you remember.
How often have you had a thought and you go to recall it afterwards but can’t remember it? If only you had written it down!
I was asked recently why do I think girls still need help to grow to become who they want to be in this world?
“Because there is anxiety about an uncertain future and this is making them unhappy.”
This is why I use and teach a creative process. The more I teach
it the more clarity, calm and comfort it can give the girls when surrounded by noise and uncertainty.
They gain a tool to navigate anything. It becomes a simple process for taking the 'next step' and that is all we all need to do to keep moving
forward.
It helps you keep moving forward
Once we learn the process, like anything new and meaningful to us, it is important to put it into action. As mentioned earlier, the more you exercise the process, the stronger it becomes - the more innate it becomes to you.
But even when we know what to do, we still often freeze. We procrastinate for what ever reason - fear of failure, success or rejection, or pride, worrying what others think.
“Journaling helps you prioritise, clarify thinking and accomplish your most important tasks, over urgent busy work.” - Thomas Oppong
To move forward we are often told to set our selves small goals or break things down into bite sized chucks - 20 minute tasks.
Research in Science Direct suggests an alternative solution to procrastination.
Instead it suggests mindfulness is what really prevents us from putting things off.
That is, being present in the moment, with our non-judgemental thoughts and feelings. Being mindful helps dull all the other noise and accept difficult physical and emotional sensations.
It helps you be mindful
If being mindful doesn’t come naturally to you a wonderful way to start is to sit down with your wonderings and journal. It is a beautifully simple
place to begin and can be easier than trying to sit in silence and meditate.
“I write in a journal daily. This extraordinary ritual has revolutionised my mindset, transformed my heartset, and generally influenced my life
exponentially.” - Robin Sharma
Writing things down is a powerful way to remember, organize thoughts and calm ourselves from all the busy-ness around us and within us. It is one of the reasons we designed a mood Journal for Girls. It provides a unique space that combines color and pattern with the various moods tween and teen girls are experiencing or seeking. It was designed by girls for girls.
“We love how there are pages just for drawing and writing our own free thoughts rather than a set structure. We also love the patterns, designs
and colours that have been incorporated,” - Sarah and Annabel Ott, teens who were part of the design team for the journal
Here are 4 Ways to get started journaling:
1. Set a time
2. Make Time
3. No Pressure, just write
4. Have easy things to write down
20 Genius Journal Ideas to help you get started
Still stuck for ideas to get started?
Here are 20 genius ideas to use any way you like. You might like to dedicate your whole journal just to one of them.
The nice thing about journaling, is you have a place you can come back to. You can pick it up days, weeks, months or even years from now and reflect upon what you have recorded.
To purchase a copy of the journal click here. They are only in limited print - like all good opportunities, seize them - once they are gone they are gone.
“What would make me buy this journal over others is the salience and creative thinking put into it,” says Australian 12 year old Lily Thorne.