Journaling is a Superpower

Our guest blogger is writer and innovator Preethi Nair. The Financial Times quotes her as being, “The storyteller who makes up the skills gap.” At The Faculty Club, she teaches modules on creativity, storytelling and personal leadership. To kick off our series around the most important superpower for leaders in the current climate, she shares her thoughts for cultivating well-being, resilience and big-picture thinking.

Journaling is the Superpower

After 20 years of working with business leaders globally, I can tell you that one of the simplest yet deeply transformative tools is journaling. I would say JOURNALING IS THE SUPERPOWER.

Journaling offers an opportunity for self-reflection, self-care, resilience and big-picture thinking and I guarantee, if you establish a practice of journaling, it will change your life. Journaling connects you to your authentic self in a way that nothing else does. Here are just a few benefits to urge you to pick up the pen:

Benefits of journaling 

• It is one of the quickest ways to move from left-brain logical thinking to right-brain creative thinking where intuition, clarity and insight reside.

• According to the National Science Foundation, an average person has about 60,000 – 80,000 thoughts per day. Of those, 80% are negative and 95% are repetitive thoughts. That leaves a very small window for fresh thinking and creativity. The practice of journaling gets all the unwanted thoughts out and on the page and creates room for innovation.

• It cultivates deep listening and authenticity – acting as a mirror to ourselves.

• Various scientific studies (see below) show that journaling improves well-being, provides clarity and boosts happiness.

When

• At least 10 minutes every day preferably in the morning on waking when the brain waves are in Alpha (relaxed and not processing too much information). If it is not in the morning, find a time when you can do it consistently every day.

How

• In your own language, following your thoughts, using a pen and a paper (not typing as this is a very different experience). Keeping the pen moving and not allowing it to stop creates flow and is akin to meditation - moving brainwaves from high beta (stress) to alpha (relaxed).

• Know that the journaling is private and not for sharing and not necessarily for re-reading.

If you adopt the practice for 30 days, I promise your lives will be magically transformed.

Preethi works with leadership teams globally to communicate vision, lead culture change and build communities within their organisations. Preethi is the author of 4 books. She has written, produced and performed a one-woman show in London’s West End and is currently writing a television series.

To book a 30-minute Journaling taster session for your team, contact Marcos Gorgojo

MORE RESOURCES ON JOURNALING

The Artist Way – Julia Cameron

Want to be an outstanding leader? Keep a journal – Harvard Business Review

https://hbr.org/2016/01/want-to-be-an-outstanding-leader-keep-a-journal

What’s all this about journaling - New York Times article

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/25/style/journaling-benefits.html

The science-based benefits of writing

https://nesslabs.com/science-based-benefits-writing