Can a simple daily habit of journaling change your life?

Do you find yourself becoming short-tempered?  Are you becoming moodier and joyless?  But the thing is…you have no clue what is causing these emotions.

Sometimes, you can be so busy doing life, that conversations and events occur that disturb you and you’re totally unaware of their impact.  Slowly but surely, your joy begins to dissipate little by little.  

Next thing you know, you’re a little down in the dumps and you have no clue how or why it has happened.  You’ve lost touch with yourself.

To avoid the pitfalls of a super busy life with no time to think and no emotional self-awareness, you may want to consider journaling.  Without a doubt, journaling can help you to stay emotionally healthy as you take time to reflect.  

I began this practice a few years ago and it has made a world of difference in my own life. As a result, I generally feel happy and emotionally healthy!

Here are some reasons why you may want to begin journaling NOW:

1) Know and understand yourself .

Journaling will help you to be better acquainted with your emotions.   To write a journal entry, you will need to stop from all your activities, sit down, think and then write.

These simple steps are powerful in helping you to reflect on your day and be in touch with your thoughts and feelings.  

You can ask yourself the following questions:

• “What happened today for which I am thankful?”
• “How am I feeling right now?” (Happy, joyful, frustrated, sad, disappointed, anxious, satisfied, fulfilled, angry, jealous, resentful, etc.)
• “What events or conversations have influenced the emotions that I currently feel?”
• “Has someone wronged me?”
• “Did I hurt or offend someone?”
• “Who do I need to forgive today?” (The incident might have occurred today or in the past)
• “What help do I need from God?”
• “What is God saying to me?” (About His character, about yourself and/or about your circumstances)

These are not exhaustive.  You can ask yourself any question that comes to your mind. I’ve found that sometimes I cannot recall what happened during the day that made me feel wretched.

I’m only aware that my emotions are ‘off’. In those times, I immediately ask the Holy Spirit to show me and He comes to my rescue every time.

You cannot address an issue if it’s hidden. It needs to be brought into the light.

2) Dealing with toxic emotions.

By journaling, it will help to release pent up toxic emotions. Let it all out through your writing. I recommend journaling to God because I like writing to someone and I know He can handle it.  

No other human being needs to know. All of us have baggage, but it can get heavier and heavier as the days and years go by.

Deliberately unpack your baggage everyday. As such, daily journaling helps you to manage stress better. It will also help you to gain clarity concerning why you have those toxic emotions.

In time, you will begin to make connections. Who or what has caused them? Why are you feeling this way about what happened? What is the root cause of your reaction?

3) Healing and freedom.

When you begin to admit and release your hurts and pains through journaling, you will begin to feel better. Ten years after a failed engagement, it dawned on me that I had some unresolved hurt and anger.  

In the book “Love the Life You Live: 3 Secrets to Feeling Good Deep Down in Your Soul”, the Les Parrott recommends taking time to write about a disturbing experience.  

Subsequently, I took the time and penned a letter about how I felt. I was totally transparent as I wrote. Afterward, I discarded the letter, but it helped me to experience another level of healing.  

Research has shown that writing your feelings helps you gain freedom from the past. You can even address the letter to a person with whom there has been a grievance and then you can subsequently destroy it.

The contents of the letter will be between you and God. That’s the power of journaling in action!

4) Prevent you from hurting others

Sometimes you just want to vent, but venting directly to the person (the object of your frustration) may not be helpful at all.  Hence, it can severely hurt a relationship.

How many times have you wished that you had held your tongue when you were angry? When your senses returned, you realized that you made a big mistake. Let’s face it – words hurt and can do a whole lot of damage.  

Why don’t you try journaling about it instead? In that way, you get your emotions out without hurting someone else. Choose self-control instead and use another means to release your anger.

Proverbs 17:27-28 says, ‘the one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.’

If you still feel a need to express your feelings to the person, then ask God for wisdom on what you should say, how you should say it and when it should be done. Timing is crucial!

‘Even a fish wouldn’t get into much trouble if he would keep his mouth shut.” – Miscellaneous

5) Improve your ability to speak

Another benefit of journaling is that it will improve your ability to clearly articulate your thoughts when you speak. When you journal, you become more aware of your internal ramblings.

As you form your thoughts and feelings into words through your journaling, you will become a better oral communicator.

Do you have challenge with expressing your thoughts? Then, journaling might be a good starting point for your growth in this area.

6) Track your growth

You can have a good laugh or cry when you reread your past journal entries. In time, you can see how you’ve grown and changed. As such, your journal entries can serve as an encouragement to you.

Additionally, you will observe the ways in which God has answered your prayers.

7) Enhance your writing skills

This goes without saying …whatever you practice often, you will eventually master.  Think about how much easier it would be for you to write emails, reports, course assignments, etc.  

When I was doing the coursework assignments for my Masters degree, it was less stressful for me to produce hundreds of pages of academic writing because I had the habit of journaling daily.

8) Develop content for a blog or book

You never know how the content of your journals might be used for a future writing project (like a blog or a book). Your journals can earn you money in the future. Does an autobiography tickle your fancy?

9) Pass on a legacy

After you’ve passed from this life, your journals would probably be left behind. In essence, your journals can serve as an inspiration to your family, friends or even the world.  

For instance, “Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl” was the compilation of journal entries of a young Jewish girl during World War II. She never knew at the time of her writing, that her diary would later be a blessing to the world.

10) Internalize your learnings

When you write, your capacity for learning is greater. If you journal after you read or study the Bible, you’ll probably remember the lesson more. Not only will you be able to recall the essence of the story or principle, but it will likely cause a change in your mindset, your values and future actions.

Also, you can do a book journal. After you read a book, you can further solidify your learnings by journaling about the book.

Summary

Above, I’ve shared 10 reasons why the habit of journaling can change your life. There are many other compelling reasons for journaling beside those outlined.

It’s an extremely important tool to help you to debrief your day and stay emotionally healthy, along with the other awesome benefits. Read the article ‘10 Easy Tips to Start Journaling TODAY’ to make it an regular enjoyable habit.

Also, join my 21-day journal challenge and get your FREE journal printable.  Comment below and let me know if you have personally found journaling helpful and the reasons why you do it or why you would like to start doing it.  Let’s have a conversation.

Don’t forget to subscribe! You’ll receive your FREE ‘Know Yourself’ questionnaire which is a good resource for your journal entries. Also, you will receive my weekly emails to help you in your journey with Christ.

As a subscriber, you can interact with me through email. I personally answer all emails.

I hope you find the rewards of journaling like I have. Happy journaling!

#madetolove

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With love,

Kimberly

Recommended Books:

“Love the Life You Live: 3 Secrets to Feeling Good Deep Down in Your Soul” by Les Parrott

“Anne Frank: The Diary of Young Girl” by Anne Frank

“Petals Bloom is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.”

The post 10 Life-Changing Reasons to Begin Journaling NOW appeared first on Petals Bloom.

You’re realizing that you’re with the wrong guy.  You know that you should end the relationship but you can’t imagine a future without him.  How do you even separate your intertwined lives? You honestly thought that he was the one that you were going to marry.

Unfortunately, heartbreak is an unavoidable evil of this life. We all make unwise decisions that will inevitably affect many others. Ending a relationship is very difficult, but it’s important to do it as soon as possible if you already know that he’s not the one for you. You can check out ‘6 Guys to Resist’ and ‘5 Truths Why You’re Still Single’. Here are some of the benefits for ending it now:

1. You’ll be able to move on quicker. You are wasting time (his and yours) when you continue to invest in a relationship that needs to end. Time is the most precious resource that we all have. Once time is gone, we can never get it back.
2. Both you and him can begin to heal before you both get ready for your future mates. Healing requires time and it cannot be rushed. Sometimes, it can take years to even realize the damage that has been done. After over 10 years of my first failed relationship, I realised that I had some serious rejection issues. Yes, it took me that long!
3. You can begin to work on the issues that contributed to your poor decisions. You need to discover your weaknesses and flaws and actively work on becoming a healthier person. If you don’t, it is quite likely that you’ll repeat the same mistakes in the future.
4. You will be making room for your future husband. You never know…he might actually be observing you right now.

I was in a relationship with a guy (‘Charlie’) for over 5 years that needed to end. I couldn’t imagine life without him. ‘Charlie’ was a good guy, but there were some aspects of the relationship that were not healthy at all. Deep down, I knew that it needed to end, but I didn’t want to end it. I remember talking with one of my friends who was seeing all the mess. He was advising me to open my eyes and put an end to the ‘madness’. I said to him, ‘you don’t think that God can change him?’ Ladies, we cannot be in love with the future version of a man.  Who knows when the change might come?! It might be when he’s on his last breath after 50 years of a stressful marriage! You don’t want to spend your whole married life in mourning and praying for your husband to change. We know that no one is perfect, but choose your battles very carefully (read ‘6 Guys to Resist’).

“There are many people who will stay in negative situations because it is familiar, rather than go where there is promise of something good, because that would be something unfamiliar” 
― Stormie Omartian, Lead Me, Holy Spirit: Longing to Hear the Voice of God

I have learned some important lessons when ‘Charlie’ and I broke up. If there was one thing we did well, it was that we ended the relationship well. Here are some tips that can help you as you end your relationship:

1) Pray

Although we see men as tough and strong, they have hearts that can hurt just like ours. If you know that you’re going to break up with him, pray that:

1. God will help him to deal with the breakup healthily.
2. God will heal his heart.
3. He may run to God to fill the void in his life.
4. God will help him to change in the ways that are unhealthy.

You can pray along similar lines for yourself. It’s always good to invite the prayers of other believers during this time. ‘The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective’ (James 5:16b).

2) Be direct

When you’re dealing with someone’s heart, it’s best not to ‘beat around the bush’.  You owe it to him to be as tactful as you can in expressing your desire to end it.  At that point in time, I wouldn’t recommend making any promises that there might be a possible re-establishment of the relationship in the future. You don’t know the future. As you develop, you will become a different person and if he remains unchanged, you may not be interested. Please note that if you’re in a very abusive relationship, you’ll need to take great precautionary measures when informing him of the break-up.

3) Set boundaries

When ‘Charlie’ and I entered our relationship, ‘Charlie’ said that if we were to ever break-up, we should have no contact for at least 6 months. I willingly agreed although I didn’t think we would ever break-up! This was one of the best and wisest decisions that we made. You often hear about couples who are ‘on again and off again’ repeatedly for years. That pattern happens because they continue to operate like they are in a relationship with each other. They see, call and message each other regularly. This type of behavior is emotionally draining to say the least.

Additionally, you might be the person who is certain that you don’t want to be with the other person. ‘Charlie’ might be hoping that one day, you’ll come back to him. When you remain in constant contact with your ‘Charlie’, you are not helping him to move on. He will remain hopeful that a ‘re-uniting’ is imminent. Later, when he hears that you’ve found the ‘love of your life’, he’ll be more devastated and heart-broken. Love him enough by helping him to move on as quickly as possible. Cut the communication channels for an extended time. This may sound harsh, but sometimes we need to take drastic measures to protect ourselves and others. How much time would you allow for no communication? After the time has elapsed, you can decide how much communicating you will do with him. If the relationship was highly abusive, you may want to stay away indefinitely.

4) Develop your relationship with God

During this difficult season, you want to focus more time in your relationship with God. The break-up will leave a void in your life and growing intimacy with Jesus is the best void-filler. You need His healing and deliverance. You’ll need His truth to uncover the issues that you must address. You’ll need His grace to go through this rough, trying period. You’ll need his wisdom and direction to take corrective action. You’ll need His strength to go through the difficult, stretching but needed growing pains. You simply need God! The process of growth is not easy but it’s necessary. Don’t take shortcuts:) An excellent resource that I’ve read is ‘Changes that Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You’’ by Henry Cloud.

5) Surround yourself with family and friends

We are created for relationship. Oftentimes, God uses other humans in our healing process. You need your family and friends more than ever. Also, ask God for healthy female friends. My closest friends are female and it would be difficult to journey through life without them. Not all female friends are created equal so pray about it and proceed with faith and not fear in working on those relationships.

6) Work on developing you

After the break-up, you will have more time on your hands. Start dreaming again about the ‘new and improved’ you. What hobbies would you like to start? Which places would you like to visit? What new skill would you like to nurture? Exciting times are ahead for you!

As time passes, your heart will heal and the sting of the loss will become less and less. You’ll be glad that you took courage and ended the relationship sooner rather than later. During the initial extended time apart from him, work on yourself, your relationship with God and others. In the midst of the crying, you’ll also learn to laugh as you let God and others into your pain. My encouragement to you is to let go of fear and take steps of faith to end it now.

“Fear is the currency of oppression.” By Danielle Strickland

Journaling is a good practice when you end a relationship. It will help you to be aware of your emotions and let it all out on paper. Bottling up toxic emotions can never be healthy.  You’ll find that journaling will be therapeutic for you and assist you in coming to terms with all that’s happening. Read ‘10 Quick and Easy Tips to Start Journaling TODAY’. Join my 21-day journal challenge and get your FREE journal printable to start today.

What are some tips that you’ve found helpful in ending a relationship? I’d love to hear about your break-up experiences and the lessons that you’ve learnt. Please feel free to comment below. Your comment might be helpful to another woman. You can also share your fears about breaking up. I want to be there for you in your journey. Subscribe and get your FREE ‘Know Yourself’ questionnaire. You will also receive my weekly email tips and be able communicate with me directly.

Subscribe, share and comment!

With love,

Kimberly

Recommended Books:

‘Beating the Break-up Habit’ by Dick Purcell

‘Changes That Heal: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You’’ by Henry Cloud

‘Changes That Heal Workwork: Four Practical Steps to a Happier, Healthier You’ by Henry Cloud

‘Lead me, Holy Spirit, Longing to Hear the Voice of God’ by Stormie Omartian

“Petals Bloom is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.”

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What should you do? You don’t have to be bored to death with your life. In fact, the single years can be the most fun and exciting time of your life filled with purpose and adventure.

However, we need to be careful what kind of fun we have. God has given us free choice, but some choices will be unprofitable in the long run. They will leave you with a “whole heap” of headaches (literal and figurative).  

“Variety is the spice of life” (An old adage)

Here are 10 fun ideas to kill boredom:

1) Socializing.

My number one suggestion is hanging out with friends and/or family.  In Trinidad & Tobago, it is fondly referred to as ‘liming’… eating, talking, and laughing.  It might be good to gather a few single friends and form a hang-out ‘crew’.  There are so many options, but here are a few to consider:

Some ideas:

• Plan a picnic;
• Have a potluck feast where everyone brings a dish;
• Go to a restaurant (no cooking required).
• Visit friends.  
• Go to the movies, show, theatre, theme park, etc.
• Try a fun sport together;
• Organise a monthly games night (and while you’re at it, invite some single Christian guys! *smile*).
  

For example, my housemates and I started having themed “Games Nite” once per month. It became quite popular as a Friday night social event and people began attending from all over the country!

Choose people who you enjoy. It should be a time of enjoyment and not punishment:). Socializing can surely kill boredom.

2) Reading or listening to books.

For some of you, this might not sound like fun, but give it a try.  This is my personal favorite hobby. Are there books that you’ve been ‘dying’ to read but it just has not happening?  You can use your free time to just sit back, get your favorite beverage and read or listen to a book.  Here are a few suggested books:

Fiction

• “Blessed Child“ by Bill Bright and Ted Dekker
• “Chronicles of Narnia” (series) by C.S. Lewis
• “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austin
• “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee

Biographies or Autobiographies

• ”Death of a Guru: A Remarkable True Story of One Man’s Search For Truth” by Rabí R. Maharaj
• “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom
• ”Harriet Tubman: The Moses of Her People” by Sarah H. Bradford, Jim Hodges, et. al.
• ”William Tyndale”

Relationship with God

• The Holy Bible
• The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence
• The Incomparable Christ by J. Oswald Sanders
• More Than a Carpenter by Josh McDowell

Inspirational

• Strong Women, Soft Hearts by Paula Rhinehart
• Brokenness, Surrender and Holiness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
• Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye by Carolyn McCulley
• The Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman by Anne Ortlund

Relationship with men

• Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs
• 10 Things Every Woman Needs to Know About Men by Sabrina Alexis and Eric Charles
• Finding the Love of Your Life by Neil Clark Warren
• Building a Relationship That Lasts by Dick Purnell

Growth and Wholeness

• Changes that Heal by Henry Cloud and John Townsend
• Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald
• Victory Over the Darkness by Neil Anderson
• Margins by Richard Swenson

Sex-related

• The Bare Facts: 39 Questions Your Parents Hope You Never Ask About Sex by Josh McDowell
• Sex and the Soul of a Woman by Paula Rhinehart
• The Purity Principle by Randy Alcorn
• Passion and Purity by Elisabeth Elliot

Money-related

• Five Wealth Secrets by Craig Hill
• The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
• The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn
• Living Large: How to Live Well Even on a Little by J. Raymond Albrektson

Leadership

• Leadership Coaching by Tony Stoltzfus
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
• The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey
• The Performance Factor: Unlocking the Secrets of Teamwork by MacMillan

Passing your time with a good book will surely help to kill boredom.

3) A Weekend Get-Away.

This sounds like paradise!  You don’t necessarily have to leave the country, but try to leave your home. At least once a year, it’s healthy to set aside time to get away from all the busyness of life.  

You can use it to invest in your relationship with God and/or to de-stress. Also, you can also try a ‘Silence & Solitude’ retreat and unplug from all distractions.  If you’re like me and you don’t feel comfortable going to a strange place by yourself, then take along a friend or relative who has the same agenda of ‘getting away’.  

4) Enjoy nature.

How about taking a trip to the mountains or the beach or a river or a nature reserve?  Hike, bike or walk and enjoy God’s creation. Or just stay at home and enjoy what you have around you. I love to sit in our porch, look at the trees, listen to the birds, and just think.  It’s very refreshing!

5) Traveling.

I have travelled to over thirty countries within the last nine years and it has been fabulous! Nine out of ten times, I was alone.

You can travel to visit family or friends or simply go site seeing on your own. Solo travel seems to be becoming more popular and companies are beginning to offer packages to meet the needs of the growing number of singles traveling alone.

6) Get in touch with your creative side.

You can rediscover that childhood creative streak that has been buried for some years.  I used to love doing crafts when I was younger.  Maybe this year, I will find a craft project to re-energize that creative part of me.  What about you? Are there any activities that you haven’t done in a while that gives you life?

Some suggestions:

• Craft Project
• Baking
• Painting
• Writing a song
• Coloring
• Playing a musical instrument

7) Volunteer.

One thing that is always in short supply is a good labourer. The world is ripe with opportunities to serve children, the elderly, the homeless, or refugees.  Without a doubt, you have gifts that you can use to bless someone.

The need to alleviate human suffering is great globally. Gather a few friends and have an outreach or join someone else who is actively involved in bringing love, hope and cheer. You’ll definitely kill every ounce of boredom in your life!

8) Create a bucket list.

What are some things that you’d absolutely love to do before you leave this earth?  Would you like to travel the world, help with the refugee crisis or go skydiving?

While you’re single, this is the time to try to accomplish those things.  One of my desires was to visit Australia and I did that a few years ago. It was worth the longgggggg flights.

9) Babysit.

There is never a dull moment with children in your life. Kill boredom instantly! Invite your nephews and nieces (biological or not) to your home for a day or two.  Their parents might be super grateful for the help.

You can give the children a time of their lives that they will remember for years to come.  “Susan” was babysitting my friends’ two children.  I was passing by and to my surprise, she made hot chocolate, baked chicken wings, pineapple chow, pizza and some other goodies.  

Furthermore, a tent was erected in the living room furnished with a sleeping bag, pillows, a plant (haha) and a projector for watching Netflix.  They also had a list of fun activities for the night. I was blown away. “Susan” was having just as much fun as the children! Lol

Here are some ideas for entertaining children:

• Play board games.
• Read books to them.
• Watch a movie together.
• Bake or cook with them.
• Take them to a park or zoo.

10) Learn a new skill or begin a new hobby.

There are countless online courses now.  Check out Youtube, Udemy, Teachable, SkillsShare or LinkedIn to name a few to learn a new skill.  There might also be free or cheap courses offered in your country.

Do some research and you never know what you might discover.  Join an art class, dance lessons, cooking course or photography course. You’ll kill boredom and you never know who you might meet in the process! Hmmmm:)

Related articles:

5 Compelling Reasons Why Singleness is Beautiful 

5 Crazy Things People Say to Single Women

10 Fantastic Ideas When You Are Stuck At Home

Summary

I’m sure you can come up with other ideas yourself.  The key to enjoying your singleness to the max is to be intentional. What are some activities that have helped you to enjoy this season?  Please comment below. Your ideas just might interest someone else.

Remember to subscribe, like and follow.  Get your copy of the FREE ‘Know Yourself’ questionnaire.  As you wrestle with some of the questions, you might discover the gem that you are and also areas in your life that may require some attention. I’ve been getting a LOT of good feedback from the 21-day journal challenge. It’s not too late. You can join today! Thanks for stopping by!

#madeforlove

Like, share & subscribe!

With lots of love,

Kimberly Garth

“Petals Bloom is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.”

The post 10 Fun Ideas to Kill Boredom From Today! appeared first on Petals Bloom.