Dear Diary?

Article by: Educators | July 15, 2011 - 10:14 pm |

Life

Teachers are often given the advice to journal on a daily basis in order to gain a greater perspective on the lessons and progress made each day. Journaling can be a helpful tool for teachers to look back and see what worked and what could be improved upon.

Did you know that journaling can be good for your health as well?

Journaling is actually an ancient tradition that dates back to 10th century Japan. Successful people throughout history, including presidents, have been known to keep journals. There is increasing evidence that journaling is therapeutic and has a positive impact on physical well-being. Studies have found that journaling has the potential to strengthen the immune system and decrease stress.

Additional benefits of journaling include its abilities to:

Clarify your thoughts and feelings. Do you ever seem all jumbled up inside, unsure of what you want or feel? Taking a few minutes to jot down your thoughts and emotions will quickly get you in touch with your internal world.

Know yourself better. By writing routinely you will get to know what makes you feel happy and confident. You will also become clear about situations and people who are toxic for you — important information for your emotional well-being.

Reduce stress. Writing about anger, sadness and other painful emotions helps to release the intensity of these feelings. By doing so you will feel calmer and better able to stay in the present.

Solve problems more effectively. Typically we problem solve from a left-brained, analytical perspective. But sometimes the answer can only be found by engaging right-brained creativity and intuition. Writing unlocks these other capabilities, and affords the opportunity for unexpected solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems.

Resolve disagreements with others. Writing about misunderstandings rather than stewing over them will help you to understand another’s point of view. And you just may come up with a sensible resolution to the conflict.

Steps to Begin Journaling:

Buy a journal and pen that feel comfortable for you
Find a safe and quiet place to journal
Date your entries for future reference
Establish a routine and journal at the same time each day
To begin, try to journal for 15-20 minutes
Write without editing

Do yourself a favor and try journaling next school year. You might just be surprised at the personal and professional benefits that come your way.

Nicole Ruzycki

Nice Blog!

Comment by: Educators on Sat, 07/16/2011 - 12:28 pm

Nicole you organized this blog so well. I was drawn in the second I read the title. The big bold 'did you know...' at the beginning made me keep reading because I had to know the answer!! I love journal writing and now that you mentioned why it's good for my mental health and the reasons, I can clearly see why I like it so much. Thank you!
Vanessa Lancaster

Great entry! Every year I

Comment by: Educators on Sat, 07/16/2011 - 3:27 pm

Great entry! Every year I have been teaching I have kept a journal, but instead of writing my reflections, etc., I simply write down quotes from my students that make me laugh. This has been extremely helpful when I am feeling stressed or burned out because it makes me think of the positives of my job and I always feel better after reading the funny things my students have said!

Awesome

Comment by: Educators on Sun, 07/17/2011 - 10:19 pm

This has great tips. I have used journaling for other things in my life, but have never thought of doing it for my teaching. I can't wait to start doing it.

Awesome

Comment by: Educators on Sun, 07/17/2011 - 10:20 pm

This has great tips. I have used journaling for other things in my life, but have never thought of doing it for my teaching. I can't wait to start doing it.
Lindsey Klintworth

Journalling

Comment by: Educators on Mon, 07/18/2011 - 5:25 pm

What a great post! I have used journalling in my personal life for many of those reasons you have mentioned. While I don't use a journal per say for my teaching, I do take daily notes in my lesson plan book about what worked, what didn't and what changes I would make. When teaching the same lesson the following year, or sharing an idea with a colleague, my notes make a world of a difference! As an educator, we've all had those moments when you say "Oh, I wish I would've done it this way" or "Next time I'm going to try this" and then with all the stress we deal with we completely forget about what we wanted to do! I also write down the quotes from my students that make me laugh - helps you remember why you're there during stressful times! Heidi Schmidt

Journalling

Comment by: Educators on Mon, 07/18/2011 - 5:25 pm

Journaling

Comment by: Educators on Tue, 07/19/2011 - 6:36 pm

I have read many articles that stress reflection as a stress management and self-betterment tool. I do make brief notes, but not as detailed as your blog suggests. I think it would be helpful to be more detailed and reflective in my "brief notes" - the problem is finding the time. I say that, and instantly think cop-out! I know that with good notes detailing and structuring what worked and what didn't will only make my life easier in the end! So, deep breath, find the time and be more detailed and write about the good and the bad! Thanks for the blog. Kim Davis

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