Every day a person has to wear masks: a strict teacher, but a kind father; In the afternoon, an unsure middle manager, but an excellent stand-up comedian in the evenings. It is very easy to get lost in their guises. Self-knowledge is considered an excellent way of psychotherapy, and one of its powerful tools is a personal diary. His knowledge will help you to know your strengths and weaknesses, to avoid the repetition of past mistakes, to learn to express your thoughts.
What is a personal diary?
A personal diary is a way to express one’s thoughts, which helps to convey events that occur in a person’s life, give them an emotional touch, analyze them, draw conclusions. It is created on paper or in electronic form. Some psychologists recommend to keep it by hand, but in the age of electronic technology it does not matter, the main thing is that the person is comfortable.
It is not necessary to make notes every day, but it is advisable to record there all important events, triumphs and defeats, experiences and joys, even minor ones. Keeping a personal diary at the same time is a confession, psychotherapy session, planning.
What is a personal diary for?
Memory Games
The memory is very interesting. A person experiences some events and it seems to him that he remembers them thoroughly. But over time, the picture becomes cloudy and the brain fills in the gaps in its own way. Often this is observed when parting with a loved one. In the first days only good memories come to mind, as it was beautiful together, what great emotions were felt at that time.
But it is worth looking into the diary, as it may turn out that everything was completely different. Grievances, suspicions, and forebodings recorded in the diary will help to survive the separation and understand that this is the right step to which you went from page to page.
It happens and vice versa, insult obscures the mind, and a person refuses to remember the good. And then the diary will be a great reminder of ancient times. It will help to cope with anger and see everything in the real world.
Dump for negative emotions
There is a useful psychological trick. It is necessary to write by hand everything that angers, upsets, spoils the mood, prevents to move forward. And then tear, crumple, throw away, burn or destroy the piece in any other way. So a person is freed from negativity. The diary has almost the same function, with only one difference, you should not destroy it.
Most often, splashing out emotions on paper, even electronic, comes relief. It is not always appropriate to express your point of view in the face of the offenders. This happens most often during a conflict with superiors, partners, clients. Diary will make all.
Introducing yourself
Sometimes a person himself does not fully know. No wonder Fyodor Dostoevsky wrote: "The main thing, do not lie to yourself." On the pages of the diary, you can be yourself - weak, ugly, angry, cynical. The more honest the better. At first it will be difficult, because it can lead to frustration in oneself, one’s goodness, one’s correctness. Written can scare.
For example, hatred of parents, envy of the best friend. But this must be done without fail, for it is only in this way that one can see one’s flaws and correct them. To praise yourself is also necessary! It helps to know hidden abilities.
Himself a psychologist
To psychologists go to deal with their problems. But the therapist never gives answers, he helps a person to ask himself the right questions and answer them himself. The diary does the same, only the person himself acts as a psychologist.
Having coped with the previous item and having got acquainted with yourself, it is possible to start the analysis. What exactly causes anger, why does this happen, at what moments, what becomes a catalyst? This will allow to get to the true source of negativity.
Disassemble worth and positive points. What is the taste of victory, what feelings does it cause, what is it pushing for? What causes a good mood that brings happiness? Sources of positive need to be nurtured and maintained in a "working" state.
Goal Achievement
Especially useful to set goals for the year or month. For example, on December 31, you can make in the diary a list of goals for which it is given 365 days. Especially undisciplined it is better to start with goals for a month or even a week, so it will be better seen that it is constantly being postponed until later.
At the end of this period, you should analyze what has already been done, what it has led to. The analysis can be carried out during the period, for example, to remember that the run has not begun, and no one has viewed the new job announcements.
By the way, the recorded goal is set on autopilot. It is easier for the brain to perceive it as a real intention. You can even go ahead and come up with a plan to achieve it. And the more fractionally everything is painted, the better.
For example, you need to make repairs in the bathroom. The chain to achieve this goal can be something like this: look at the tile on the Internet, go to the store and compare prices, call the master, meet a plumber. And on the same principle further. It is necessary to write what is exactly made from the list.
Protector from the old rake
Not all people can learn from mistakes. But having gotten your personal diary makes it much easier. Life is arranged in such a way that the events in it are repeated. We can say that this is how the Universe checks how a person has learned a lesson in the past and how he will behave now.
For example, the girl complains that she always comes across the same type of guys. If she already has experience with them, she knows what to expect from them. Yes, and besides, she was a clever diary all this time, it is not difficult for her to analyze the recorded experience and make everything different in a new relationship. Firstly, it may turn out that the matter is not always in the "bad guy." Secondly, it will help not to get involved in initially failed relationships.
Future memoirs
It does not matter at all whether the recordings will be made public or forever remain an intimate secret. Writing a diary will help you learn how to structure thoughts, to state them correctly. To do this, you need to periodically re-read the diary, you can even make editorial corrections to it, the main thing is not to change the essence of what is written, because the value of thoughts is precisely in their relevance at the time of writing.
Back to the past
Sometimes it is very pleasant to plunge into the memories and read the old records with a smile. One can be surprised to notice the dramatic changes in one’s personality, just to ponostalize, to re-experience the emotions that have been experienced in the past.
The personal diary will become an assistant, a friend, a psychologist. This is the secret door to the world of the subconscious. Conduct it must consciously, only in this case, it will benefit.
