“I don’t know what I think until I write it down.”
– Joan Didion –
A couple of weeks ago, I was asked why I journal. 10 years ago, I might have been too shy to honestly answer that question. I sure did journal, even if back then, it wasn’t in the most effective way. It was during this time when things like meditation, therapy and personal growth didn’t seem to be openly talked about.
To be honest, because of the taboo around it, I often wondered if there was something wrong with me. It made me question whether or not anyone else needed or reached for these type of self-care practices.
Fast forward to now, and we’re living in a wonderful time where looking after your wellbeing is understood and valued. It’s as important as looking after our physical bodies. We all know that you don’t get super fit and then have the licence to sit on the couch eating potato chips for the rest of your life, expecting your body to maintain its strength.
The same is true for our wellbeing. We’re not meant to look after our inner-self occasionally, hoping that it’s enough to keep us balanced and get us through the years.
Why do I journal? I journal because it’s the best way that I know how to process and deal with my thoughts and emotions. Whatever I am thinking, feeling or experiencing when I first pick up my pen, I know that at the end of a journaling session, I will have clarity, a feeling of calm and be inspired by a pearl, that gem of an insight that I will have uncovered along the way.
Joan Didion is right. I really don’t know what I think, until I’ve written it down. I love how often I’m happily surprised with how quickly I’m able to make sense of things by simply journaling.
Keep looking after your wellbeing by making it a daily priority. Just for fun, pick up a pen and let it do the talking!
With love,
Ingrid