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Unlock the Power of Words through Journaling: Discover the Transformative Benefits
10 Plays9 days ago
Imagine a simple tool that not only eases your stress and enhances your creativity but also boosts your immune system and improves your sleep.
It sounds like magic, doesn't it?
Yet, this powerful practice is as accessible as putting pen/pencil to paper.
Journaling is a centuries-old technique that modern research proves can significantly enhance mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
In this episode I share some of the benefits not only from what research papers have said, but also from my own personal experience.
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Transcript
Introduction to Journaling Benefits
00:00:00
Speaker
Imagine a simple tool that not only eases your stress and enhances your creativity, but also boosts your immune system and improves your sleep. It sounds like magic, doesn't it?
00:00:11
Speaker
Yet this powerful practice is as accessible as putting pen or pencil to paper. Journaling is a centuries-old technique that modern research proves can significantly enhance your mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
00:00:27
Speaker
Whether you are seeking personal growth, cognitive clarity or a creative outlet, the act of journaling can open doors to self-discovery and transformation.
00:00:39
Speaker
Dive into the compelling evidence yourself that supports this practice and learn how journaling can become your most trusted ally in navigating life's complexities.
Research and Personal Experiences on Journaling
00:00:49
Speaker
Now in today's episode, I want to share some of those benefits, not only from what research papers have said, but from my own personal experience.
00:00:58
Speaker
This episode will be segmented into three parts. I will share my personal experience when it comes to the power of journaling, then a summary of research findings on the benefits, and lastly, details of my current challenges, what's next in my transformation journey, and an invitation to follow along with an effort to support you in your journey of transformation too, plus some important housekeeping announcements.
00:01:23
Speaker
Do you desire to live a life that supports you in thriving? A life based on understanding your unique design and engaging more in your passions?
Marie Nicole's Journey and Career Insights
00:01:33
Speaker
I'm Marie Nicole and I am devoted to combining beauty, uniqueness and connection in everyday living experiences.
00:01:41
Speaker
As a creative professional and Dharma coach, I help people connect to the truth of who they are and facilitate them in embodying their uniqueness. I am also a mother of two precious young men and with children in tow, have established and run unique businesses, embrace opportunities that have contributed to my creative career while creating magical memories and living my life by design too.
00:02:05
Speaker
It's my hope that this podcast inspires you to live your life on your terms and earn your income through being uniquely you. Whether that's working for yourself or someone else, the key here is living a life in alignment with your unique design.
00:02:21
Speaker
After all, it's our unique thread that we each contribute to the collective tapestry that creates the whole.
00:02:34
Speaker
Now, eight years ago, when I started my graduate studies in collective entrepreneurship, it surprised me to discover that 50% of my marks would come from my lived experience journaling practice.
00:02:48
Speaker
Not only did we have to submit our journals, we also had to read research findings which backed the benefits of this practice, of which there are many. Discovering that 50% of our marks would come from this practice was also reaffirming, as I had been engaging in a daily journaling practice for almost 15 years prior to commencing these studies.
00:03:11
Speaker
And it is something I swear by still.
Overcoming Fear and Embracing Journaling
00:03:15
Speaker
But a lot of people I speak to about journaling fear taking up the practice. as they are concerned about what others would think if they ever read their journals, and some have openly expressed they are also afraid to truly express their thoughts as it may lead to discoveries that they don't feel ready to unlock yet.
00:03:34
Speaker
Now, as a coach, I recommend journaling to every single client and even many in the digital solutions program that I work with, encouraging them as a part of business planning to begin with and process challenges that they have found themselves faced with in business interactions, like turning up to meetings in a heavily male-dominated industry and finding their voice is not heard.
00:03:59
Speaker
Sometimes they are not being heard because they are not really speaking up out of fear. So the practice of journaling before a meeting for mental preparation and after a meeting as a reflective practice is a powerful way to recognise the patterns of behaviour that we ourselves engage in that keep us playing small and empower us to speak up next time with more confidence in our contribution to the conversation, not to man up, but to contribute the valuable feminine perspective too, providing a more balanced outcome.
Daily Habits and Routines for Well-being
00:04:35
Speaker
Journalling your thoughts on all aspects of life is, of course, even more powerful. But for some, simply starting with their career challenges is an opening to embracing journaling for life.
00:04:49
Speaker
During times of overwhelm, it can be easy to let go of supportive practices, but this can also be the case if we feel like all is cruising along nicely in life. But in the same way that we don't wait for our car to break down before we add coolant to the radiator or oil to the engine, maintaining habits and practices during both Experience of peaks and valleys is what leads to our sustaining health and well-being, despite whether or not we are going through heightened, challenging times or exhilarating times.
00:05:21
Speaker
After transitioning out of my photography business into my artisanal, I would constantly say to my husband at the time that I was acting like the business and the business owner I wished to become.
00:05:32
Speaker
I structured my schedule and recorded processes in ways that that supported me in expanding out into taking on staff to run the business rather than always operate as a sole trader.
00:05:44
Speaker
The same can be said for operating as the person you wish to become. If you simply wait for things to miraculously change one day, It will never happen if you continue to do the same things the same old way that you have been. You will not foster the new reality you desire by living that way.
00:06:02
Speaker
Instead, you'll continue to end up with similar results, potentially making micro steps towards the reality you desire. But really, it will take considered effort to change your ways to propel you into that next version of self that you aspire to becoming. Journaling on what the person you wish to become would do The daily decisions they would make and then putting strategies into place to start doing those things in the present is more powerful than waiting for the day that you'll suddenly transform into that new version of you.
00:06:35
Speaker
A question I like to ask myself to start off the day with is how do I wish to feel at the end of the day and what can I do to foster that? I start each day with yoga or meditation followed by journaling time, which I title in my journal Morning Musings.
00:06:52
Speaker
I empty my mind out of whatever has come through overnight and then ask myself that question of how I wish to feel, especially if I'm feeling disempowered. Now I have two dogs behind me that are rumbling, so I apologize for that. I will kick them out if they continue And get louder.
00:07:10
Speaker
While my schedule is already set for the day ahead, the answer to this question relates more to what I will choose to do around my existing commitments to foster me feeling the way I wish to feel at the end of the day.
00:07:23
Speaker
And then towards the end of the day, at 5pm, I have a reminder set that pops up on my screen asking, how do you wish to feel in the morning? What do you need to do to foster that tonight?
00:07:34
Speaker
Now, this question at the end of the day is not a journaling practice. It is one to prompt me not to work into the night to complete a task because I just want it done. Instead, recognising that perhaps I have not moved enough through the day and would benefit from doing another yoga practice before moving into evening activities or take the dogs outside to play fetch.
00:07:57
Speaker
and absorb the early evening atmosphere.
Journaling Through Life Transitions
00:08:00
Speaker
While my ideal day would not be to spend hours in front of a screen, in the reality of this major transition phase I am moving through, that does mean at the moment I am building a foundation for what is to come next, and that is requiring a lot of extra computer time than I would like, but since I am also embodying the person I wish to become, I am reminding myself that my body benefits from physical movement and time outside, and that I am more effective in my work when I make space for those things.
00:08:32
Speaker
If I delayed doing those things until this um transition time was over, then i would have to work a lot harder at a foundational level, recovering from the neglect of my physical and mental wellbeing.
00:08:45
Speaker
That is what living holistically focuses on, which brings me back to the physical act of writing in a journal. This is not something I do exclusively in the morning or at bedtime. I keep my journal with me throughout the day and I stop and write quick reflections or record insights and inspirations.
00:09:04
Speaker
The importance of the reflections is that I get to witness my own patterns of behaviour, especially fears and concerns that are holding me back, especially if triggered by something throughout the day.
00:09:17
Speaker
This is an opportunity to self-reflect and see where my hidden fears are surfacing in interactions with others, which may have nothing to do with them, but everything to do with my internal dialogue.
00:09:30
Speaker
And this is exactly why I created 3-in-1 leather notebook cover set and then adapted it to a 4-in-1 so I could keep my journal with me at all times and organize my thoughts in a more effective way, separating the notebooks with dedicated topics for each notebook.
00:09:48
Speaker
Now I do make these to order. If you would like to have one handcrafted for yourself, keep that in mind. Now I want to remind you that doing something once or twice does not make for a new habit.
00:09:59
Speaker
You need to keep repeating the practice. Revisiting reflective journaling questions helps you make discerning decisions and take aligned action. Which is why i choose to work in a cyclical manner.
00:10:12
Speaker
This being the week of the new moon kicking off the new cycle is a great time to reflect on what has served and what has not and set new intentions for the cycle ahead.
00:10:23
Speaker
I shared in the last episode that I have been opening up space in my days to do something somatically that is not related to work or even seemingly related to strengthening my body for my yoga practice, but rather related to fostering that connection between my mind and body in terms of expansion and growth.
00:10:42
Speaker
And that practice is playing my guitar more frequently. This came about through a journaling session where I was unpacking hidden fears and realizing that there had to be blocks at a subconscious level that had been holding me back in a particular area of life.
00:10:59
Speaker
Because theoretically, I was doing everything I should be doing, but was still hitting a wall. Through writing out what could be behind this, a message came through from my intuition which was that I could benefit from engaging in something that shifted an internal belief about not being able to play the guitar as well as others could, as it was out of my scope.
00:11:22
Speaker
Believing in that is no different to stating that I am a victim of circumstance and limited because of the situation I have landed in. Becoming a single mum in the last three years, challenging myself in this area has been confronting. Physically stretching my fingers into positions that they had forgotten has not been easy.
00:11:42
Speaker
But there are three things that have come out of this that have been that have pleasantly surprised me. One, how quickly the muscles in my hand and wrist developed flexibility when practicing daily,
00:11:54
Speaker
And on the flip side, how quickly they regressed back to not having that flexibility when I didn't play for a few days in a row. Two, how quickly I remembered to place my fingers and play the chords, even move from one chord to another. And then three, how quickly I have been able to remember a finger picking pattern, especially since it's one that I've not played before, as I am learning a completely new song.
00:12:20
Speaker
While I am nowhere near feeling confident enough to play a tune in front of a camera, so I will not be sharing the results of my practice with you here today, what I want to focus on is that anything we choose to do that is out of our comfort zone is going to take dedication to the practice in order for it to become something we do as second nature.
00:12:42
Speaker
While journaling may feel uncomfortable at first, The benefits of putting this into practice will be far greater than avoiding the discomfort. This doesn't just have to focus on challenges. I also like to record sparks of inspiration that come through in my journal too.
00:12:59
Speaker
and have found this to be extremely useful, gathering ideas that are not always ideas that are ready to implement, but instead seeds that need time to germinate. Sometimes, months later, a complementary idea ignites and the desire to combine it with the earlier idea, like a companion plant supporting another in thriving.
00:13:21
Speaker
Also recording bodily responses to activities and potential opportunities. Recognizing when resistance to engaging in something is a repeat occurrence.
00:13:33
Speaker
Over the last two years as a part of my transition after closing my commercial space, letting go of that main portal for where I was deriving my revenue, have taken on numerous freelancing roles.
00:13:46
Speaker
And while some have been easy work to do, the bodily response I have had when preparing to sit in front of my computer and perform the task has been mind-blowing.
00:13:58
Speaker
I started journaling on this to understand what was behind it. Earning an income is not something anyone can go without in our societal structure and I was doing what needed to be done, taking on these roles to support us financially in this transition.
00:14:13
Speaker
So why was my body expressing itself with so much resistance? Now for those who know about human design, I am a manifesting generator with a sacral authority and my profile is a 4-6-6 which is opportunist role model.
00:14:28
Speaker
So my previous business that I had established ticked all the boxes of me living my highest expression. There were elements that were not fully aligned, but for the most part, it really did.
00:14:41
Speaker
But for me to sit in front of a computer all day performing brain-numbing tasks completely drains my energy and it makes me ineffective to do what I'm here to do in this lifetime.
00:14:52
Speaker
So it has been a real challenge trying to balance the need for guaranteed income and build a new version of my business that truly supports me in thriving and serves those I'm here to serve too.
00:15:06
Speaker
Through journaling, I have recognised that the guaranteed regular income tasks are were not only physically and mentally draining, they were also not enough to support my basic living needs if I were doing it full time and they were not activities that I could use to feed into my business offerings and scale.
00:15:25
Speaker
Which is where the 80-20 rule is really important to apply. Focusing on 20% of what you do that translate into 80% of revenue. Working eight hours a day sitting at a computer, being completely drained of energy, not even meeting basic needs is not supportive to thriving for most people, I would argue.
00:15:45
Speaker
But it is a pattern we have fallen into as a society. And it might work if you're in a double income family and you're both actually bringing in enough income to to do what you need to.
00:15:55
Speaker
But as a single mum, who is Uber driver to a teenager who is only on his learner's permit and has a permanent part-time job with varying shifts, living in a location without public transport, let alone the fact spending my days just getting by, not ideal.
00:16:13
Speaker
Journaling has supported me in taking aligned action instead. Placing energy towards that which actually serves my bigger picture vision, which is why I still make space to work with clients through the Digital Solutions Program.
00:16:28
Speaker
Supporting micro and small business owners through that program fills my heart with so much joy and it supports them in their journey. at such a low cost financially.
00:16:39
Speaker
The biggest cost to them is their investment of time and dedication to their own development. But I'll let you in on a little secret. What the clients don't know is that if they don't turn up to a session for whatever reason, as guides, we don't get paid for it.
00:16:55
Speaker
So it really is just like running your own business. And that is why I say i still make space for this. Even though it is not guaranteed income, it does pay well and the work itself aligns with my purpose in this lifetime. I'm to take a moment to share some information with you about the Digital Solutions Program, which is one of the ways you can work with me as a coach, in this case as your digital guide.
Supporting Small Businesses with Coaching
00:17:21
Speaker
If you'd like support in your digital presence as a micro or small business owner in New South Wales, Australia, running a for-profit business, you can take advantage of this heavily government funded program that I contribute to as a digital guide, where you pay a small one-off fee of $45 plus GST and receive up to four hours of one-to-one coaching to support you in your digital journey.
00:17:46
Speaker
focusing specifically on your needs in the digital space, which does not have to be as daunting for you when you establish systems and processes and use easily accessible digital tools to support you in expanding your reach to connect with potential customers, either in your community or way beyond the boundaries of your LGA.
00:18:06
Speaker
In the show notes, you'll find my affiliate link to register for the program. And when you do, you'll automatically be assigned to me as your guide. During our initial session, we worked together on ascertaining exactly what it is that would be best for you to receive support with, and then we take it from there.
00:18:24
Speaker
Now back to the episode. I hear all the time from business owners that they have busy minds and that is partly what has held them back from journaling as they felt like they would never get anything done if all they did was write in a notebook.
00:18:39
Speaker
Which is why I wanted to share with you a summary of research findings about the benefits of journaling. Because the time does not have to be all consuming but it it can certainly be supportive.
00:18:51
Speaker
Now there's the mental health benefits. Stress reduction. Journaling can help reduce stress by providing an outlet for expressing thoughts and feelings, writing down worries.
00:19:02
Speaker
Individuals often find a sense of relief and clarity which can lead to decreased anxiety levels. Then there's the emotional regulation. Keeping a journal assists in identifying and managing emotions.
00:19:16
Speaker
It also allows individuals to process complex feelings and develop a deeper understanding of their emotional responses. And then there's improved mood.
00:19:27
Speaker
Studies have shown that journaling can lead to a more positive mood and increased overall well-being. Expressing gratitude through journaling, for instance, has been linked to heightened feelings of happiness.
00:19:38
Speaker
And then you've got the cognitive benefits. Enhanced memory. Regular journaling can improve memory and comprehension. Writing about daily experiences helps in organising thoughts and retaining information more effectively.
00:19:52
Speaker
And then there's the problem-solving skills. Journaling promotes critical thinking and problem-solving skills by a analysing situations and reflecting on possible solutions. Individuals often find innovative ways to tackle challenges.
00:20:08
Speaker
And then you have the physical benefits. The fact that it boosts immune function, research suggests that expressive writing can contribute to a stronger immune system.
00:20:19
Speaker
People who journal about stressful events have shown signs of improved immune response. And then there's better sleep. Who doesn't want better sleep? Individuals who journal before bed, especially focusing on positive experiences or plans for the next day, often experience improved quality sleep.
00:20:38
Speaker
This practice can help clear the mind and reduce nighttime anxiety. Now then there's the personal development aspect. Self-reflection and growth.
00:20:49
Speaker
Journaling encourages self-reflection, leading to greater self-awareness by reviewing past entries. Individuals can track personal growth and recognize patterns in their behavior.
00:21:02
Speaker
Goal-setting and achievement is another Writing down goals and monitoring progress increases the likelihood of achieving them. Journaling helps individuals stay focused and motivated.
00:21:15
Speaker
And then you have the creativity and expression. Enhanced creativity. Journaling provides a creative outlet for expressing thoughts and ideas. It can spark creativity by encouraging free thinking and exploration of new concepts.
00:21:30
Speaker
And then we have artistic expression. For many reasons, Journaling is not limited to words. Doodling, sketching and incorporating other art forms can make the practice a rich, multifaceted experience.
00:21:44
Speaker
When I said in my collective entrepreneurship course we um had 50% of our marks come from journaling, that could have been in the form of poetry, video entries, art that you created, but it still needed to express the process of the lived experience as an entrepreneur.
00:22:01
Speaker
So as you can see, the research underscores that journaling offers a myriad of benefits from mental to physical health improvements to personal and creative growth.
00:22:12
Speaker
So incorporating journaling into daily routines can be a transformative practice.
Personal Life Changes and Community Building
00:22:18
Speaker
Speaking of which, I am personally in the final stages of the biggest transformation phase I have ever gone through in this lifetime,
00:22:25
Speaker
And the last three years has been a process of letting go and leaning into the unknown. Now this week we are diving deep into the process of selling our family home as a part of the final stages of the divorce settlement.
00:22:38
Speaker
My youngest son and I have been living in our family home for the last three years and admittedly I have not found it easy to maintain the house as well as a small acreage as well as transitioning out of my commercial space into full-time remote work while supporting him in his journey of transformation over the last three years too.
00:22:57
Speaker
So there is a lot of work to do around the property in order to have it meet the requirements um for accessibility to sections of the property, especially since we are listing some of the land separately.
00:23:10
Speaker
Plus, we do need to get the grounds of the house to look presentable in the photos that need to be taken to list it for sale. Now both of the boys are working and no longer in school and in the next couple of weeks they have very few days off that i and those days are dedicated to their father's wedding which is taking place in early March.
00:23:31
Speaker
And then there is the added complexity that I turn 50 in late March and my sons would like to celebrate that with me. So they have also put in to have time off for that weekend so we can take off for a little getaway to the south coast and create treasured memories together to mark the occasion.
00:23:49
Speaker
Which will actually be a perfect time for the property to be available for inspections for an entire weekend and then available by appointment either side of that. So this has left me with a decision to either wait until mid-March and hope that they can squeeze in assisting me with the work around the grounds or start the process this weekend myself.
00:24:11
Speaker
Now I am keen to have our home listed and sold before winter And that allows us all to move on to the next phase of our life's journey without this property keeping us entangled in each other's lives.
00:24:23
Speaker
Now, you might be thinking I could reach out and ask for friends to help. And yes, I could and have many times over the last three years. But this time, I think it's best to do what I can on my own to get this show on the road, which may mean i end up missing an episode or two, even though I know that that won't worry you at all.
00:24:44
Speaker
I would just like to take you on the journey with me as this is such an important process of establishing the foundations of creating my own life by design going forward.
00:24:55
Speaker
So I will at least share snippets through YouTube shorts and Instagram reels because I don't want to promise something I can't deliver, which is why I'm not promising a full episode.
00:25:06
Speaker
And that's why I wanted to share this ahead of time because there could be the potential of a gap between this episode and the next. Now, I feel it's important to share my story, not because I need my life to be witnessed by the masses, but to help others feel less alone in their journey.
00:25:23
Speaker
Before I opened my commercial space, I was heavily involved in our local community, volunteering a lot, and yet I was constantly told, that I could not be considered a local for another 38 years or so. It was something ridiculous like that.
00:25:38
Speaker
Even though I had devoted years to contributing my skills to a community in a rural location, which I chose to live in to be a part of a community, so I opened a space that others who were not yet local could feel welcomed and appreciated for the contribution that they made to the collective with their unique gifts.
00:25:59
Speaker
No longer having that space and not being as active in my local community as I prepare to leave this area has meant it has been really important to me to connect with others through the digital space and foster community that way, which is one of the aspects of being a coach and digital guide that I absolutely love.
00:26:20
Speaker
All that said, I do intend to move to a new location that I can once again contribute to a community in a physical sense, but in the meantime, I will continue to use the digital space and stay connected beyond the bounds of the physical space that I reside in.
00:26:35
Speaker
which is why I still place importance on this podcast and other digital portals. Before I sign off, I'd like to share a few housekeeping details. ah Firstly, I am designing a new website, which should be published in the next couple of days, and there will be links to product listings throughout the show notes of this entire podcast channel that need to be changed.
00:26:56
Speaker
The same can be said for the change of Instagram names, My younger son has been helping me with this and he has already updated links for my personal brand from By Marie Nicole to Marie Nicole Meunier.
00:27:08
Speaker
However, the changeover from Creators Nest, Yass, to a Life by Design podcast has not yet been completed. And I am also changing the monthly newsletters.
00:27:20
Speaker
for Creators Nest to Marina Coleman-Yer. So please bear with us as we do this. If you do end up with an error message when you click on a link, by all means, reach out via email and I will include an at the best address right now for you to send that to in the show notes of this episode.
00:27:38
Speaker
And i would be more than happy to help you out. Now, one last thing in that regard, if you do wish to purchase any handcrafted items that are made to order, be sure to get those orders in in the next couple of weeks.
00:27:50
Speaker
as I have no idea when I'll have a workshop space set up that will accommodate my industrial sewing machines and benches, so they may need to go into storage for a while after the sale of this place.
00:28:02
Speaker
So until next episode, if you desire to live a life on your terms, by your design, then I would encourage you not to hold back from writing down your thoughts, inspirations and intentions,
00:28:16
Speaker
reflecting on patterns of thoughts, bodily responses that are messages to help guide you in taking aligned action that is supportive of your thriving rather than follow a path that was not designed for you.
Final Encouragement to Journal for Growth
00:28:29
Speaker
So happy journaling. So thank you for listening all the way to the end of this episode. I hope that it provided you with insights and inspiration that you need right now on your quest of fostering thriving.
00:28:42
Speaker
Please do pass this episode on to someone you think would get value out of it too. And I'd really appreciate if you leave a review for this podcast on Apple or Spotify or a comment on YouTube. I'd love to hear any insights and or inspirations is activated in you.
00:28:59
Speaker
and look forward to drumming, dancing or soaring alongside of you.