out of the storm – Joys of Journaling

I love writing because words are my thing!

I have a diary for appointments that ensures I arrive on the right day at the right time to the right place. But I also have a journal (actually a drawer full going back many years) in which I recall, scrawl, agonise, analyze my feelings surrounding both the good and bad events of my life. Perhaps you’re thinking ‘Why bother?’

The following account is from a woman after losing her husband:  Writing in my journal felt good. I could say things I didn’t want to share with my sisters, friends or therapist. My thoughts and feelings were private, embarrassing and confusing, important only to me. My journal listened. It didn’t judge or tell me what to do. At night I would read it like a bedtime story, then tuck it under my pillow. It became my companion as I journeyed through the forest of my grief.

It is very therapeutic to grab the scrambled thoughts and feelings from our frazzled mind and throw them onto a page to settle into some sort of order that slowly begins to make sense. Just like tipping the myriad pieces of a jigsaw puzzle onto a table, it takes time for the picture to form and we may need to revisit it a few times before the last piece can be put in place.

Even if you’re not a word person, give journaling a go. You will be surprised at the result. A friend shared with me recently that she sat down to write two short sentences, thinking that was all she could manage, but the words kept pouring from her and she was stunned to realise she had written four pages. She was amazed at the release she experienced. You have nothing to lose and lots to gain.

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