Try Stream of Consciousness Writing While Journaling to Reduce Stress

Mindfulness. It's been around for 100's of years but has recently took the stress-
relievers and life-enrichers by storm. The studies on the health benefits of simply 
concentrating on your own breath and watching your thoughts drift away are life-
changing. Mindfulness is changing the way people engage in the world and creating 
happier, more compassionate people. 

There are several ways to meditate and reap the benefits of mindfulness meditation. 
One way is by stream of consciousness journal writing, or focusing on writing while 
you're in the moment and recording your thoughts on paper.

Tips for Doing Stream of Consciousness Journal Writing

Start by taking a deep breath, all the way into your belly while counting to six. Hold your 
breath for 5-7 seconds and release very slowly while counting to 8. Repeat this process 
several times while releasing any stress, any negative emotions when you exhale. 
Remember to release any negative thoughts too. Visualize all negativity expelling with 
your breath and floating away. Visualize your breath while it is entering and exiting your 
body and repeat this process.
By doing this we are putting ourselves in the present moment. When you are fully 
present you aren't thinking about your thoughts, you are simply here in the now. When 
we are present we are relaxed, more compassionate and have clearer thinking.

Starting the Process

Begin writing in a journal or a tablet. Take a moment to feel how your hand feels holding 
your writing utensil. Do you have a firm or loose grip? Does the pen or pencil have 
ridges on it? Focus on how it feels to move your utensil over the paper as you begin to 
write letters and construct words. If a thought comes up in your mind simply see it pass 
by without judgement. 

To begin stream of consciousness writing start writing what thoughts you are thinking at 
the time. Do not hold back, any thought or emotion should be put onto your paper. Let 
your thoughts flow and do not worry about punctuation or grammar. This technique is 
used to release any thoughts that have been clouding your mind. Simply keep writing, 
flowing with every thought that is coming to mind.

Let yourself write for about an hour. In my own personal experience after writing for 60 
minutes I had a clear view of everything I had been thinking about recently. I knew how 
to productively respond to situations that had been dragging me downward for months 
and answers to similar situations. With this newfound consciousness and clarity I had 
indeed found a great deal of stress relief.

