Journaling: A bridge between the two sides of the brain...

Journaling is just a fancy name for writing things down. Scribbling down your dreams, brain-dumping your feelings, making to-do lists, planning your next big life move - journaling can be all of those things, and more. What makes journaling such a powerful tool for self-discovery is that it taps into both sides of your brain, helping you connect creativity and emotion with logic and reason.

The Right Brain: Imagination, Emotion, and Intuition

Your right brain is the dreamy one. It’s where your creativity lives. It’s the part of you that feels deeply, visualises possibility, and dreams big. When you journal about your hopes, your fears, your vivid dreams from the night before, or how your day felt, you’re giving your right brain a safe space to express itself. This kind of journaling can feel like a release - a heart-spill onto the page. It’s raw, real, and deeply human.

The Left Brain: Logic, Planning, and Problem-Solving

Then there’s your left brain: the planner, the analyser, the list-maker. When you journal in a more structured way—like turning a dream into a step-by-step action plan, making a pros and cons list, or figuring out what’s within your control, you’re engaging your left brain. It’s the part of your mind that loves a spreadsheet, a calendar, or a clear list of goals. Left-brain journaling helps bring structure to the mess, clarity to confusion, and action to inspiration.

Why We Need Both

Life doesn’t fit neatly into boxes, and neither do our brains. Emotions and logic, dreams and plans, intuition and analysis - they all matter. And when we journal, we create a beautiful space where these parts of ourselves can meet, communicate, and work together.

Think of it as building a bridge:

You might start by brain-dumping feelings of overwhelm (right brain), letting your emotions flow freely onto the page. Then, once the emotional fog lifts a little, you can bring in your left brain to sift through those feelings. What’s in your control? What small steps could help? What can you let go of?

Or perhaps you’re dreaming about a new career, a big move, or a creative project. You let your imagination run wild (right brain)… and then map out what needs to happen to make it real (left brain).

This kind of journaling is more than just writing. It’s a conversation between your head and your heart.

Ready to try it?

Here are a couple of prompts that invite both sides of your brain to the table:

• “What do I dream of doing or being?” (Right brain) Followed by: “What’s one small step I could take towards that?” (Left brain)

• “What’s been weighing on me lately?” (Right brain) Followed by: “What parts of this can I control or influence, and what do I need to let go of?” (Left brain)

• “How do I feel right now, really?” Followed by: “What do those feelings need from me today?”

The magic of journaling lies in its flexibility. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. Whether you’re doodling, writing lists, pouring out poetry, or plotting out next steps, you’re making powerful neural connections that support both emotional wellbeing and practical progress.

So grab your journal, invite both sides of your brain to the page, and let the magic unfold. And consider joining my monthly journal club! More details here...