5 Ways Journalling Can Improve Your Relationships
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It may not be the most obvious benefit of keeping a journal, but putting pen to paper can boost your relationship health
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Henny Flynn offers her five reasons why
Journaling can be a transformative practice that extends far beyond the pages of a notebook.
By picking up a pen and allowing the words to flow, we can tap into a part of ourselves that goes deeper than our rational, every-day mind. In this way, we’re not only able to unburden ourselves from things that may feel challenging in some way, we’re also able to unlock our own inner wisdom, possibly finding answers we hadn’t known were within us.
In this article, we’re looking specifically at how journaling can help us in relation to others.
The vital component here, as with all self-reflection, is to respond to whatever arises on the page with the most profound compassion.
This can feel the hardest part, and yet, when we consider self-compassion to be responding to yourself as you would to your dearest friend, it can feel a little easier to embrace the practice.
One technique I find immensely useful, whenever I feel a judgemental or critical part showing up in my journal, is to ask myself a simple question: How can I bring more compassion here?
1. Cultivating self-awareness
Journaling invites you into a private space of self reflection. As you allow the words to flow, you may observe different layers of emotions and reactions. In the safety of the journal, it becomes more possible to sit with complex feelings. This heightened self-awareness can help you to understand your triggers and patterns, fostering more mindful and authentic interactions with your loved ones.
2. Enhancing empathy
It used to be thought that empathy was a fixed asset – you either had it, or not. But research now shows us empathy can be learned and deepened. By regularly writing about our experiences and feelings, it can help us explore different perspectives. This practice of stepping into the shoes of others through our journal enhances our capacity for empathy.
And, as you develop a deeper understanding of your own emotions, you naturally extend this understanding to those around you, nurturing more compassionate and supportive relationships.
3. Improving communication
It’s not surprising that listening deeply is one of the core skills for good communication. When we journal, we are learning how to listen deeply to ourselves. We can also find the act of journaling hones our ability to articulate thoughts and emotions.
Equally, if we find something hard to write, it can show us how hard it feels to express what we’re feeling – and the journal can become our practice ground.
By translating internal dialogue into written words, you practice the art of clear communication; potentially opening up fresh opportunities for expressing yourself with your partner, friends, and family.
4. Resolving conflicts
Journaling serves as a safe haven for processing conflicts and misunderstandings. Not only can we write from different perspectives, feeling into how others might be feeling, but when emotions run high, you may find writing about the situation helps you to step back and view it from a calmer, more objective perspective.
This clarity, and the spaciousness enabled by the journal, can mean you’re better equipped to approach conflicts with a balanced mindset, perhaps finding resolution or deeper understanding in your relationships.
5. Celebrating connections
Journaling can also provide a beautiful opportunity to express genuine gratitude for relationships, perhaps laying out the reasons why a person, or people, feel valuable in your life right now.
This practice of savouring positive interactions reinforces the joy and gratitude you feel for those connections. And when things feel more complex, as they may do at times, revisiting these entries can be a useful reminder of the strength and beauty in your relationships, inspiring you to nurture them with intention and love.
Henny Flynn is the author of In the Flow: Journal Your Inner Wisdom
