The Benefits of Journaling: Reflective Learning

Journaling and Reflective Learning

Going along with the growing popularity of terms like ‘being present’ and ‘being mindful,’ ‘monkey mind’ is a term that is used to describe the restless and scattered way of thinking that many of us have come to experience. Of the thousands of thoughts that any individual may have in a given day, it is estimated that as much as 95% of them are repetitious - meaning we are thinking the same stream of thoughts over and over again, like listening to the same song a dozen times on repeat! To make matters worse, only about 20% of these thoughts are estimated to be positive :-(. If this is truly the case, what do you think you and/or others could potentially achieve if they could take control of their thoughts? What would happen if time wasn’t wasted on stale, stagnant thoughts, but if time was spent envisioning bright possibilities?

One of the reasons that thoughts loop through our minds is that we are trying to process something that is unresolved for us. Unfortunately, unless you have developed certain skill sets to process these thoughts more effectively, we waste a lot of time in a day with rehashing the same thoughts.

There are many techniques that can help us to calm our minds and expand our positive and creative thinking. One technique for retraining our mind is reflective journaling.  Reflective journaling is the process of taking 10-15 minutes in a day to reflect on an issue that is occupying your mind by taking pen to paper. It is the simple process of identifying what the issue is, why it bothers you, and what you know and don’t know about the issue. You then have the opportunity to reflect on what you did and did not do to deal with that issue, as well as what you might have done differently or may still do to resolve the issue. As soon as you write about an issue that is bothering you, you will more than likely interrupt the thought-loop. 

The benefits of journaling are numerous and heavily touted in the world of psychology, but none are more noteworthy than those you will notice for yourself.