The only thing more difficult than journaling is reading it. While reading prior work can be embarrassing, especially if you were going through a difficult time, it can also be quite therapeutic. Here’s how you reflect to gain the most personal insights.
Before you begin, grab a pen or highlighter to mark up the text.
I suggest that you go back through your previous entries and circle, underline, or highlight any instances when you exaggerated, denigrated yourself, or fell into a negative thought pattern.
You have the option to do this regularly or occasionally. Some could decide to wait until they’re further away from the topic matter, while others might find value in doing it on a weekly or monthly basis. You may wish to cut back on the practice entirely or reduce its frequency if you feel that it hinders your ability to write honestly and freely.
Whether you’re going through a dream notebook, a gratitude journal, or even a meditation journal, you’ll undoubtedly see some themes beginning to emerge. Watch out for ruminative thoughts, those clinging ideas that you find yourself repeating time and time again with little progress made. For instance, you might spend a lot of entries criticizing yourself for the same error or wishing that a particular experience wouldn’t occur.
These are the entries that require further investigation. However, you may find it simpler to sort them out, confront them, and begin the process of moving past them once you see them clearly written out on the page. You can ask yourself what a therapist would ask to assist you explore these topics to get yourself there.
Some Questions to Ask
Which emotions would I like to experience that I didn’t in these entries?
Why was/am I bothered by this so much? What other issues does it raise for me?
When was the last time I experienced this? What made me feel better right away?
When did I last do exceptionally well? What did I do differently?
Any question that enables you to understand the underlying meaning of heightened and recurring emotions will be beneficial, since they are frequently the result of something else. It’s more important to think about how to get over this vicious cycle and gain a deeper understanding of it than it is to identify the exact question.
These questions might also serve as a starting point for further journaling if you’re eager to extend the activity. Alternatively, these can be topics to discuss with a therapist or mental health expert if opening them up on your own seems too difficult.
Why it Works Well
By following this special method, you will be able to “notice, and thus start to shift, unhelpful habits you might have.” It can also be a helpful reminder that all ideas and experiences—even the ones that seem life-changing now—pass and give way to other ones in due course.
Furthermore, keep in mind that making time for introspection is always beneficial, even if you don’t think you’re learning anything from this exercise. Therapy requires you to make a commitment to checking in with yourself and processing what has been going on in your life, which is part of what makes it so powerful.
Related Post: 60 Journaling Prompts for a Journey of Self-Exploration
To Wrap Things Up
Although it’s not necessary to go back and read past posts to benefit from journaling, doing so can give the practice an additional dimension. You may be able to literally close the book to old thought patterns and begin again by asking yourself questions about them or by working through them with a therapist.
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