How Journaling Can Help Promote Slow and Reflective Thinking 

 I’ve talked a lot about the benefits and importance of embracing slow and reflective thinking lately. Today I want to share one of my favorite ways to actually do it. Let's face it, it's one thing to say that we want to be more deliberate with our thoughts, but actually doing it and making it a habit is an entirely different story. Today I want to share with you how journaling, or putting words down on paper, can help you get started. 

 Let's start with the obvious. Writing things down takes time. This alone will make you slow down. But there's more to it than that. Taking a pen in hand helps you focus your thoughts, which brings another benefit. Last but not least, we tend to slow down and think deeper before we put our thoughts and ideas into something more permanent, in black and white on paper. 

 Whenever you find yourself with a problem or an issue that takes some deeper thinking, get out a journal or even a blank sheet of paper and write down your thoughts. Don't judge or edit. Just get it all out. Stream of consciousness writing can be very helpful here. By getting it all out on paper, your thoughts will start to sharpen and clarify. It also gives you something to read through again a little later. Go for a walk after you've finished writing it all down and then come back and read through it. Do you notice trends or opinions you weren't consciously aware of? This can be great information to have. 

 Of course, I don't want you to stop at writing your way through problems as they arise. After all, we started out talking about how journaling can be a great tool to help you practice and promote slow thinking on a regular basis. Start by setting aside some time each day to journal. This can be in the quiet hours of the early morning, on your lunch break, or as a wind-down activity before you head to bed. Try different times and see what feels right. 

 You may also try playing around with the format you use for journaling. You can use a pen and paper. Start with an inexpensive notebook, or splurge on a nice leather-bound journal. Try bullet journaling and more of a diary style of writing. Look around sites like Pinterest and Instagram to get ideas for different styles and give everything that seems interesting a try. Keep what works, ditch what doesn't work. Use your journal to reflect on how your day is going. 

A journaling practice allows you to think about what is important to you, what you are doing, and where you’d like to see your life develop. One of my most valuable practices is keeping a Gratitude Journal; each day I write at least five things I’m grateful for from my day. Sometimes I have to look back on other day’s entries to remind myself how blessed I am, while at other times, I can come up with way more than five things to be grateful for.

 The most important part to getting the most value out of a journaling practice is that you make journaling a daily habit. Journaling is only one way to help you find clarity and understanding about your thoughts and the events of your life. Finding clarity starts with just making the time to just do it...pick up your pen and free write whatever comes to mind. Once you start to experience the benefits and see for yourself how it supports your slow thinking habit, you'll be hooked. 

Until next time...

Lisa

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