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

Subscribe, Comment, Share!

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

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

Are you single and disappointed?

You’ve been faithful to God and you’ve sought to make Him the top priority in your life.  Yet, another year has come and you’re still unmarried.

You look at other single Christian women who have ‘gotten through’, and you think that something must be wrong with you. Why is God not hearing and giving you what you desire? Doesn’t your faithfulness count for something?

Compromise? No way!

Regardless, you’re the kind of woman who will not compromise your biblical values …even to get married. You’re not going to engage in premarital sex just to get a man by your side. Furthermore, being with a non-Christian is an absolute no-no.

Furthermore, being with a married man (even if he’s planning to get a divorce) is out of the question. If those were the only options to get married, you’ve made up your mind that loving God and being obedient to Him would still take priority over being married.

But even so, your obedience to God seems to be getting you nowhere.   You’re disappointed and perhaps even angry with God. The struggle is real.

These are genuine feelings among countless single Christian females, especially among those who are older and have never been married.  There are always exceptions, but most single women have an inborn desire to have a family.

This unfulfilled natural longing can lead to feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, anger and even depression.  

My own struggles with being single and disappointed.

I can relate very well to your convictions and struggles. In the midst of enjoying my season of singleness, I also vividly remember my own struggles of disappointment and crying out to God to fill this desire to be married.

It was honestly rough at times. However, God always gave the grace during those periods and gave me wisdom to successfully handle my unmet longings.

Here are 5 helpful tips to help you to deal with being single and disappointed.

1. Don’t deny it.

You are disappointed and there’s no need to deny it. ‘Call a spade a spade.’ God already knows your heart so there’s no need to pretend.

In most therapies, the first step is always facing the truth about yourself. As such, it’ll be good to share your feelings with trusted friends whether they are single or married.

If your friends will make fun of you, then you’ll need some new friends! Now, I’m not recommending an ongoing pity-party or ‘men-are-no-good’ bashing party.

Remember, this is about you at the moment and it is healthy to face your issue in order to deal with it. You do not have to remain single and disappointed.

2. Cry out to God.

Be vulnerable with God, not in a disrespectful way, but let him know how you feel about the situation. Prayer is the simple act of communicating with God. Allow God to meet you in the deepest place of your heart and soul.

So, you can do this by writing, speaking or singing to God.

A. Communicating with God through writing .

While I was single, I wrote to God in my journals … expressing all my hurts, regrets, frustrations and disappointments. It felt incredibly freeing to let it all out. Therefore, I would recommend that you begin journaling as soon as possible.

Read the article ‘10 Easy Steps to Start Journaling Today’. It’ll help you to detox your emotions and to gain some clarity. You can get your FREE journal printable and join my 21-day journal challenge to get help to begin this life-changing habit.

B. Communicating with God through talking.

You don’t need a special place or even a special time. Right now, you can talk to God. Whenever you feel like you’re drowning in sadness, lift your heart to Him and cry out to Him. If you need to cry, then cry. If you need to bawl, then bawl.

‘Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.’ (1 Peter 5:7)

C. Communicating with God through singing.

Singing your heart out can work miracles when you’re feeling depressed about your singleness. One of my favorite songs when I felt that my heart was breaking was ‘Enough’ by Chris Tomlin and Louie Giglio. Here are the lyrics:

“All of you is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You are my supply
My breath of life
And still more awesome than I know
You are my reward
worth living for
And still more awesome than I know

All of you is more than enough for all of me
For every thirst and every need
You satisfy me with Your love
And all I have in You is more than enough

You’re my sacrifice
Of greatest price
And still more awesome than I know
You’re my coming King
You are everything
And still more awesome than I know

More than all I want
More than all I need
You are more than enough for me
More than all I know
More than all I can say
You are more than enough for me.”

What songs have encouraged you when you felt single and disappointed?

3. Be a part of a healthy community.

We all need loving relationships. You may not have a husband, but having deep close friendships will fill your heart with love. For me, my friends were a tremendous support.

Therefore, you may want to be a part of a community that seeks to follow God and hold true to His values. If there are other single Christian women in your sphere, intentionally meet to encourage and to be your sister’s keep.

Be intentional to have a great time together. Don’t spend all your time talking about how sad and unfulfilled you are. Undoubtedly, there’s a lot more to this life than being married.

4. Build your confidence.

Confidence is attractive to men, job recruiters, coworkers, customers, etc. You need to feel good about yourself deep down in your bones. At any rate, your significance is not tied to your marital status.

I had one phase when I felt so desperate and needy. It was not pretty.  To put an end to that, I had to rewire my brain and build up my self-confidence.

Maybe you can do a makeover. Wear colors that make you look alive. Perhaps, even add a few new pieces to your wardrobe. Get a new hairstyle. In short, take some time for yourself and do things that would make you feel beautiful.

5. Guard your heart.

One of the best things to deal with being single and disappointed is to guard your heart. This means being intentionally in the following areas:

A. Your entertainment.

Have you ever finished watching a romantic movie at night and then as you enter dreamland, you somehow become the heroine in the movie?

After I intentionally stopped watching romantic movies for a prolonged period of time, my fantasies stopped and my intense longing for romance decreased significantly.

I became a lot happier being single. The way you think is a consequence of what you dwell on.

What shows, books, movies or music are driving your discontentment? I don’t think we realize just how much entertainment affects our entire being. Are you willing to reduce your fantasy stimuli, especially romantic movies/chick flicks?

Removing the triggers will lesson your feelings of being single and disappointed.

B. Your friends and family.

Which persons around you are influencing negative emotions about being unmarried?  I would suggest a change in ‘diet’ from them as well (if possible).  

You need to actively reduce or cut off negative stimuli or otherwise, your phase of being single and disappointed will last too long. If the negativity comes from persons with whom you live, let them know that what they are saying to you is not helpful.  

Instead, consciously seek to be around persons who are positive and who would help you to have a balanced biblical perspective on your singleness. Check out “5 Compelling Reasons Why Singleness is Beautiful.” 

Proverbs 4:23 wisely advised, ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.’

Related articles:

5 Compelling Reasons Why Singleness is Beautiful 

10 Fun Ideas to Kill Boredom

Summary

These are some actions that I have implemented to help me to deal with the disappointment of being single for longer than I wanted. Whether you remain single for the rest of your life or get married, you want to be joyful.

Therefore, it is very important that you take responsibility for only what you can do. Making some of these changes will not be easy, but I hope, they would make the world of difference in lessening the things that fuel your disappointment.  

Instead of being single and disappointed, you’ll be single and having a time of your life!

What other tips would you recommend?  Which songs have inspired you? Comment below because I would love to hear what has or is helping you to navigate this season.

Subscribe and receive your FREE ‘Know Yourself’ questionnaire. If you need to communicate with me directly, then click subscribe. As a subscriber, you’ll also receive my short weekly emails to help you in your decision to follow Christ. Click reply and share with me your singleness journey. Thanks for stopping by!

#madetolove

Share, subscribe and comment!

With lots of love,

Kimberly

Recommended Books:

‘Singled Out for Him’ by Nancy Leigh De Moss

The Path of Loneliness: Finding Your Way Through the Wilderness to God’ by Elisabeth Elliot

‘Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye: Trusting God with a Hope Deferred’ by Carolyn McCulley

“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 Single and disappointed…5 Helpful Tips to Deal with It. appeared first on Petals Bloom.