Viviamo Inc advocates for the power of journaling to find healing, clarity, and connection amidst the pandemic in its first planning and journaling online summit called #YouGotThis, featuring content creator Macoy Dubs, mental health advocate Cat Triviรฑo, and more!
September 2020—With everything that’s been going on lately surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, it feels as though we haven’t been given enough time to prepare or process the drastic changes that have been happening in our lives. Given these negative events happening around us, our bodies might be responding to them in three possible ways: suppress feelings associated with the event, don’t actively process the emotions of the situation; or allow the experience to be the sole focus of our life.
“When you’re falling into any of these common responses, and find it hard to freely express your emotions with someone else, then a method that might probably work for you is journal therapy,” advises Darlyn Ty-Nilo, founder and president of Viviamo Inc.--the custom publishing company behind Belle de Jour Power Planner.
This method entails writing down your thoughts and emotions in your journal with the intent of processing them without any judgment from and of yourself and your emotions. This then becomes a powerful journey to self-healing.
With journal therapy, the left part of the brain becomes active, allowing you to be more creative in expressing your ideas. The more you pick up the habit of writing, the more you feel freer from the emotions you have bottling up. Doing so might even give you clarity and understanding of the negative events you have experienced.
Additionally, journal therapy can be highly beneficial to one’s physical and mental wellbeing:
It reduces stress. Journaling is an effective stress-management tool because it helps you prioritize your problems, fears and concerns. It can also track your day-to-day emotions, and recognize your negative triggers and learn how to better control them.
Keeps the mind active and memory sharp. Journaling can help your brain stay in tip-top shape. It helps improve your cognitive functions by boosting comprehension and increasing one’s memory capacity. As you reconnect with yourself, you are also keeping your brain engaged at all times.
Strengthen emotional functions. Journaling can be a cathartic experience for writers. It allows them to express their emotions, helping the brain regulate emotions. Journaling also gives the writers a sense of mindfulness, remaining present while gaining perspective.
