Journaling To Reduce Stress
Stress relief is 90% mindset and journaling is a powerful mindset-shaping tool. Here are 5 powerful ways to use journaling to achieve another level of awareness, incorporate a holistic way to relieve stress, and gain access to more joy.
During my journey as a healer I quickly realized that if my clients could integrate mind, body and soul they’d have quicker relief from the pain and stress they were feeling. When I started incorporating appropriate dialogue and awareness tools that guided them to their authentic selves, the magic started to happen. Not only were they healing physically, but they were exhibiting the courage to transform their lives. Journaling, a simple tool pretty much anyone can use, is one of those tools.
When you write you move what’s on the inside to the outside. It’s a Feng Shui of sorts; a decluttering of the thoughts and beliefs that create stress and suffering. And when you shed light on those thoughts and beliefs and add some curiosity and a genuine desire to learn, that awareness can change everything, including decades-old stress-producing habits.
The writing, through the awareness it offers, is a way to help you change your reactions and responses to life. What if instead of worrying you could relax and go with the flow? What if instead of thinking up every possible bad scenario for a situation, you could use grounding and centering techniques that would help you solve problems more quickly? That’s what can happen when you use writing as a healing and awareness tool.
Here are 5 ways to start a journaling practice that enhances your awareness and reduces stress:
- Write a little every morning. A regular practice is where it’s at. The consistency and commitment will create a new, good habit.
- Write from your feel. When you overthink, writing feels stiff. Connect with your body with a few breaths first and write from a place of feeling, instead of thinking.
- Use a writing prompt. Prompts can be words or pictures that guide your journaling. There are tons of free prompts online, but if you’d like my favorite 25, you can access The Big Questions Journaling eBook HERE!
- Read your words out loud to yourself after you write. Putting your voice to your words takes the awareness up a notch. Try it!
- When you feel extra stressed, write more. Use this tool especially when you’re feeling intense emotion. Honor your feelings. Feel them fully. Move it all out. Remember this tool!
Some people don’t write because they think they have to be good at it first. Some don’t write because they don’t want people to read it. Some don’t do it because they’re afraid of what they’ll discover. You might have your own, different excuse. Whatever the excuse, if the idea of journaling interests you I say just try it for a month and go from there. Use a timer. Set it for 5 minutes and stop when the timer goes off. Make this be a low-pressure thing to do.
And you might see the magic start happening on the page when answers, clarity, inspired ideas, healing, or even poems come out of you. Yes, it can be that good! Above all, enjoy the process.
I have a book out that will guide you through some powerful healing, awareness, and journaling tools. You’ll find Brave Healing, a Guide for Your Journey on Amazon HERE. Start your journey today and I’ll be on your cheerleading team! Please connect with me at the links below!
Laura Di Franco, MPT is the owner of Brave Healer Productions. She’s a published poet and author, inspirational speaker, holistic physical therapist and third-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do with over two decades of experience in healing. Praised as “our favorite class” by The Writer’s Center, her brave, intuitive writing and healing workshops are the reason she was born. She helps healers get their badass, authentic voice published in order to heal the world with their words. Her new book, Brave Healing; a Guide for Your Journey is due out June 1st! www.BraveHealer.com is where you can grab a free 30-minute call with her to learn how your story will heal the world.
