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Life Skills: Journaling
Life Skills: Journaling

Learn how a feelings journal or a gratitude journal can help you

Menachem avatar
Written by Menachem
Updated over a week ago

by Dr. Shlomie Zimmerman

The research demonstrates emotional benefits to journaling. Different forms of journaling have all been shown to be helpful for various things.

A “feelings journal” in which you write about your experiences, and particularly your feelings, can be helpful. Such journals are often used for feelings identification, expression, and processing.

If you struggle with your self-worth, a “self-esteem journal” can be helpful. In a self-esteem journal you write down things about yourself, such as positive attributes or things you did that they feel good about. Directing your focus to positive aspects of yourself can help increase your sense of self-worth.

A “gratitude journal” is another form of journal which has demonstrated very positive effects and is especially linked with happiness. In a gratitude journal, a person focuses on and jots down things that they are grateful for.

Focusing your mind on positive things and things one is grateful for can decrease negative feelings, boost positive feelings, and help you live more happily.

In fact, the word simcha (שמחה) is comprised of two words sam (שם) which means place and moach (מוח) which means mind. So, if you focus his mind on positive things and being grateful, you will experience more simcha. The more simcha one has, the less of a struggle he will have with taavah-related challenges.

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