2022-08-04 Journaling

Journaling is one of my personal favorites for anyone who is just getting started with self-awareness. Start noting down what is going on in your mind every day. You do not have to overthink what to write, write consistently. Consistency is the secret here.

Fixing a time can help bring discipline into your writing practice, however, I used to do it at different times of the day. Sometimes I would write for 10 minutes multiple times a day and at other times, I would write before going to bed. But I did it daily, without fail.

The whole purpose is to create a record of your thoughts over the past week, month, etc.

The magic begins here: After a while, you will start to notice a pattern. There will always be some common issues that are eating you up. And trust me, you will find them.

To give you an example, it might look like this:

• you are constantly worried about some friend or relative who keeps texting/calling you and you just want to avoid them but you cannot
• you are having relationship issues with family, friends, boyfriend, etc.
• you are constantly worried about your weight but your fitness plans are not producing results
• you are not sure about what you are doing with your life
• you fear not finding an ideal match for yourself
• you are always thinking about how you can be like XYZ

These are just a few examples. You will always find common problems that trouble you every day. And these are the matters that shift your focus away from your goals. Unless you find a solution to them, they will keep troubling you. Ignoring them would not work.

Once you identify these problems, learn to find their solution. In my case, I discussed these with my therapist and she helped me learn new skills such as setting boundaries, delayed gratification, etc. Sometimes, I refer to books and youtube channels for solutions.