What is Journaling
Journaling is the practice of regularly writing down one’s thoughts, feelings, insights, and experiences in a journal or a diary. It can be useful for introspection, goal-setting, stress relief, and self-awareness among other things. It is an excellent space for children to be themselves in a totally non-judgemental space.
Benefits of Journaling in children:
1. Develops writing skills: A regular practice of journaling improves spelling, grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure. Being a purely independent and self-driven activity, it gives the child total control over content and length of writing. Starting journaling at an early age can lead to better writing skills, fewer mistakes, as well as a positive attitude towards writing. In the long run, it can foster a love for writing and can translate into the ability to write well-structured essays and articles. It can also improve one’s handwriting to a great extent.
2. Enhances communication skills: A daily practice of journaling helps children find their voice, builds confidence, and they become more comfortable expressing themselves. Some children may be more comfortable writing their feelings rather than speaking. Developing strong written communication skills may be a valuable asset for them in future.
3. Inspires creativity: The greatest advantage of journaling lies in the fact that there is no endless competition with others. The child is the master of his own space and is free from the need for acknowledgment from adults. It helps them build creative thinking skills. Journaling is a personal space for holding on to one's dreams, and brainstorming toward realizing them. The child can indulge in any amount of writing, drawing, and doodling, and can use stickers and newspaper cuttings for his creative expression. With time, the child gets increasingly absorbed in the creative journey and gains more creative skills.
4. Boosts emotional intelligence: Being emotionally intelligent is the ability to understand, process and manage, one's thoughts and feelings and respond to them in a rational way. Journaling is an effective tool for enhancing emotional intelligence in children. It provides them with a secure and personal space to process their feelings, label their emotions and put them into words. Consequently, they get a chance to reflect upon their actions, gain insights and build resilience for future challenges. Teenagers going through overwhelming situations can especially benefit from this practice.
5. Helps in stress management: Stressful and traumatic experiences can prevent the child from thinking objectively. Through journaling, the child gets time to process the situation and form better narratives about the experience. It provides comfort similar to that of speaking to a therapist. Apart from helping one understand one's own feelings, journaling can help one understand others' perspectives and develop empathy toward them. A gratitude journal is an excellent way to shift focus from painful situations to more positive aspects of life.
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6. Helps in achieving goals: We all make resolutions and set goals- consciously or subconsciously. Achieving those goals can be challenging at times. However, having a journal to support our goals and recording our progress on a regular basis can help immensely. Any troubleshooting can be recognized and corrected instantly. A sensible approach would be to:
Break your goals down into sub-goals and milestones
Create an action plan that is effective and practical
Build habits that support your goals
Track your goals accurately
Reward yourself for each milestone you reach
Goal setting through journaling can be effective both in your personal and professional life. People who have maintained a diet journal have been known to achieve their goals quickly, effectively, and consistently. Additionally, it leaves a record for your future self, where you can come back, take inspiration, and lose those 10 pounds that you gained lately.
When setting your goals it is important to make sure that they are SMART:
Specific: clearly define what you want to achieve
Measurable: set targets and milestones
Achievable: ensure that your goals are realistic
Relevant: consider how they will impact your life
Time-bound: set a specific timeframe for each goal
Overall, journaling can be an effective tool to help you set up and realize your goals.
Furthermore, journaling can increase self awareness in children. As they keep writing about dreams, likes, dislikes and more- they start knowing themselves more. A child who is keen to write in creative ways will instinctively dive into reading different styles of writing, thus improving the reading habits. Journaling can help in academic excellence too, if done in a structured manner. With all the above traits, the child will eventually become more self confident and independent.
Tips to encourage journaling in your child:
Set a good example- show your child how deeply satisfying journaling can be, by journaling yourself.
Make it a habit- encourage your child to set up a specific time and place for journaling. Consistency can turn it into a regular habit.
Provide a comfortable and peaceful space specifically for this activity.
Go shopping- the child is more likely to dive deep into this habit if he selects the diary himself. Buy colorful stickers, pens, and other exciting stationery
Offer prompts- you can say, what are you thankful for, today? Or, what is your best memory from the summer break?
Respect their privacy- unless they want to share it with you. This will help them be honest with their writing.
super valuable information …Thank you 😊
Super beneficial article.... Thanks a ton 😊