If you have problems – and let’s face it – we all do, then journal writing can serve as a creative problem-solving tool. Maybe you have a problem with a friend and you don’t know what to do about it. Maybe your problem is about your job, or your spouse. Your problem could also be about your health. Journal writing can help you solve your problems in a creative way.
How to Use Journal Writing in Any Scenario
Let’s look at a possible problem you may have with a friend. Let’s say that when they talk to you they make you feel like you’re non-important. They give you the impression that they are better than you. You are having difficulty speaking up and saying what you really want to say because you are afraid you will hurt their feelings. Journal writing can help you solve this problem. Write down what it is that your friend is saying that bothers you. Now write down how you feel about it. Examine those feelings. Are they valid? (I’m so sure they are!) Now write down what it is that you would like to say to this person. As you use this creative problem-solving tool and write down your thoughts, it may become more clear as to what your problem is. If you are having difficulty speaking up, then you definitely have a problem with your self-confidence and self-esteem. You are most likely feeling that what you have to say is non-important. This equates to feeling that YOU are not important. During this journal writing exercise you have now determined what the real issue is. It is about you after all. You have just learned through this creative problem-solving tool that you need to improve your self-confidence and self-esteem. In doing so, you will learn to express your wants and feelings more freely.
Journal Writing Can Even Help at Work
Now, maybe you have a work-related problem. Maybe you are having a problem with a co-worker and you’re not sure how to handle it. Journal writing can be an excellent, creative problem-solving tool to help you resolve this. Write about your co-worker and describe the problem. Write about various possible ways you can achieve a solution. Weigh the pro’s and con’s of each solution. Now choose the one that you feel most comfortable executing, and then ensure you do execute it.
Journal writing can almost certainly help you in getting the proper perspective on the problem areas in your life. Use this creative problem-solving tool on a regular basis and you will see how much easier life becomes. The answers to your problems will certainly become clearer.
About the Author:
Written by Cynthia Romero, author of the Smile More Today and Tomorrow website.
