6 Benefits of Journaling: Pouring Out Your Heart to God

BENEFITS OF JOURNALING

Chronic illness or pain may change your life in many ways. You may suddenly find that you must rethink many things and process many emotions.

Writing in a journal can be a wonderful and safe way to sort out your thoughts, release your feelings, let go of hurts, gain new insights, practice self-care, and so much more.

JOURNALING CAN HELP YOU SORT THROUGH YOUR THOUGHTS

You can tell your journal exactly what you think about the unexpected turn in your life. Journaling can:

• provide a way to record your thoughts.
• help you articulate what you think.
• uncover thoughts you do not realize you have.
• help you see things from a new perspective.

It does not matter if your entries are scattered or if you don’t write in complete sentences. Your journal is an avenue to blurt out whatever is on your mind and heart.

JOURNALING CAN HELP YOU EXPRESS YOUR EMOTIONS

Release your feelings through your pen or keyboard rather than bottling them up. You need a healthy way to express your emotions, so let your journal be your guts on paper where you can let out your anger, sadness, happiness, fear, excitement, loneliness, anxiety, or disappointment. Some of your emotions may be strong and deeply embedded; if you need to write some of the same things again and again, so be it.

Not everything you journal about must be serious—and you don’t have to start by writing about your illness if that feels overwhelming. Writing about surface topics can help you get in the habit of journaling as you learn to describe things in written words. If you already journal, you might want to take a break from the heavier topics and write about something lighter for a change. Review the list below, and choose one prompt at a time (or create your own).

1. Describe where you are happiest. Write about a heartwarming memory and the joy it gives you.
2. Write about your favorite season. Why is it your favorite?
3.  Describe some things in nature that you admire. Why are they special?
4. List things that make you smile.
5. Print your name in capital letters in a vertical line. Write down a positive trait about yourself for each letter of your name.

JOURNALING CAN HELP YOU RELEASE INNER PAIN

List your thoughts or feelings about a matter that weighs heavily on your mind. Recording the events that hurt you can be one step toward healing from them. That pain, left stuffed inside, will only hurt you; better out than in! Leave the so-called sting on those pages.

• Explain the conclusions you made about yourself, life, and God because of being hit with a chronic illness.
• Write about what you’ve lost at the hands of the illness and what you feel about it. Be candid. Starting from a place of honesty will serve you well.
• Enter your illness-related fears on one side of a page and ways to face them on the other side. Include statements to counteract what you’re afraid of and that give you peace and strength.
• Use your journal to convey what you want to say if you’re having a hard time facing a difficult conversation you need to have with someone (including family, friends, and medical professionals) about how they have treated you regarding your illness.

Try not to be discouraged if it takes several attempts to experience relief. Especially with deep hurts, there may be a lot of pain to express. It will take time.

JOURNALING CAN HELP YOU PUT YOUR CONCERNS INTO PRAYERS

Maybe you struggle with accepting what has happened, you are grieving over what you have lost, or you don’t know how God can use you anymore. Acknowledge where you need divine help, and write your concerns as prayer.

Writing out your prayers is a great way to recognize your pain and open yourself to God’s power. These prayers may ask God for help, praise Him, purge your inner pain, or simply share what’s on your mind. Write whatever you want to say to the Lord. Even if you aren’t ready to say these prayers, pen them anyway, and they will be available when you are ready.

Remember that conversations with God go both ways—that is, when you’re listening. Keep track of what God says to you. You can revisit those recorded words when you need comfort or feel far away from Him.

JOURNALING CAN PROVIDE A RECORD OF YOUR JOURNEY

Let your journal be your safe place to express yourself. Once you’ve put words to your thoughts, you have a record of where you started and the steps you took to move forward. You can look back at what you have written and see how far you’ve come in dealing with your illness or other life challenges. Sometimes it’s hard to see progress day-to-day, but it is more obvious when you can look through the lens of time.

When you review past journal entries, you also might be able to detect patterns in your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. This can provide insight to help resolve underlying issues.

Some people find it too painful to look back, and if you find that to be the case for you, you don’t need to—but if it isn’t too hard, you may find it helpful.

JOURNALING AS SELF-CARE

While journaling might not be for everyone, it can benefit many, even those reluctant to try it. Writing honestly about your thoughts and feelings can be one way to practice self-care. Try some of these ideas to care for yourself as you journal:

1. Express yourself through creativity. You can write stories, song lyrics, descriptive essays, or poems; draw pictures; color; or make collages. Nothing must be art or a literary marvel. Just illustrate or write what’s on your mind and in your heart.
2. Discover what inspires you. Maintain a section for inspirational quotes or verses and why they are important to you. It will provide uplifting thoughts to review when you feel overwhelmed or down about yourself.
3. Explain the positive things in your life, whether big or small, and what they mean to you.
4. God’s love: Write about how you see God’s love in your life and the impact that has on your faith.
5. Describe your relationships with cherished friends or family members.
6. Focus on gratitude. Start with Gratitude Jumpstart! Or create a list of things for which you are grateful. Try to add one new thing each day.

THE JOURNALING JOURNEY

God desires your company, your presence, your heart. Pouring out your heart to Him through journaling can be a blessing, a catharsis, a revelation.

It’s okay to start small and work from there. Take it one step at a time. If journaling doesn’t come easy right away, that’s okay. Give yourself some time. There is no deadline.

For now, prayerfully consider journaling and see if God is steering you that way.