The Healing Power of Journaling

Linda A. Huitt
3 days ago
4 min read

It hit me today, as I was dealing with my own “challenges” (frustration, mixed feelings, painful observations that are weighing on me, etc.) that I might find some relief in journaling. Kind of things that I would like to discuss with my therapist if I could afford to have coffee with her every morning, but that just isn’t feasible. So yes, let’s journal.

So I did it. I started a journal this morning. And surprise (not surprised), I actually felt a bit better after typing a full page of my stream of consciousness.

But why? How did just typing that help me to feel better?

The human sensory system is complex. We process information through several different channels. Each time we process it through a different channel, we get the benefit of that channel.

I knew that I was aware of this fact from somewhere in my studies over my 64 years. So I did a quick internet search to find supporting information. I typed “learning through our different senses” in the search bar, and immediately got back this helpful AI generated summary:

“Learning through our senses, particularly the five senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch, is a powerful way to enhance learning and retention. Engaging multiple senses can lead to deeper understanding and longer-lasting memories, making it a valuable approach for educators and individuals alike.

[… with a LOT more AI detail here…]

“In conclusion, incorporating our senses into learning can be a powerful tool for enhancing understanding, retention, and engagement. By stimulating different parts of the brain through a variety of sensory inputs, we can create a more meaningful and effective learning experience. ”

I also received back a list of MANY supporting articles. I chose this brief article, Sensory Systems Work Together, to share the link here. It is from the Genetic Science Learning Center. It's about a 2 minute read.

Back to my journaling experience...

More here about why I chose to try journaling... I could just think about my “challenges”, or just talk with a friend (also known as having a bi*ch session, lol). But that only exercises part of me – my brain, and (if I say it out loud) my voice. I might get a bit of commiserating support from my friend, which would feel good, but would not really solve anything. So I decided to give journaling a try.

Some of our other sensory systems and means of processing that are engaged by journaling:

Touch: Whether I type or write, feeling the keys of the keyboard, or the pen and paper in hand, I can feel my words in a tactile way (not just the emotions of them).
Sight: As I write, I also see what I am writing. Having those words appear before me can punctuate them in a different way.
Observe & Process: I can go back and READ my own words. Sit with phrases and sentences, and see if that evokes anything for me. Maybe it will give me an idea of something productive for self-healing, or something I can do to change the situation in a way that supports others as well as myself. Or perhaps I will “see” that this is just a symptom of some other “challenge”, prompting me to dig deeper in another direction (… rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat…).
Sound: I can choose to read my words out loud, or even record them and play them back. I can listen to the vibration of my emotions, which can help me to shake off whatever is in excess, and focus on what cannot be pushed aside. This might lead to weeping and grieving (which itself is healing), or finding a new level of strength and determination within me, or all of the above.
Smell: Well that one is a reach. I suppose if I journaled in an actual paper journal, the smell of the paper and ink could evoke something deep and sacred for me. But I choose to type, so I will leave this one to ponder later, or perhaps for others to add comments on how your olfactory system can be engaged in journaling.
Historical Preservation: Keeping a journal will give me a history. A milepost. Months from now, I can go back and remind myself of how far I have come (or not), and look for patterns. This will help me to look forward. What is that saying – something along the lines of “… those who do not know / understand history are doomed to repeat it…”, and I sure as heck do not want to repeat my current “challenges”.

Granted this is just “Day 1” of my journaling, but even journaling about journaling somehow is helping me to feel more empowered. I encourage you to give it a try!