[at-l] About Journaling

[jbullar1 at twcny.rr.com (Jim Bullard)]

At 02:49 PM 2/6/2005 -0500, ATtrailhiker@wmconnect.com wrote:
>Here's another from the same newsletter :)  Shauna
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>** ARTICLE:  Five Ways to Benefit from Keeping a Diary ??? written by Patti
>
>Testerman **
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>
>Everyone who has kept a personal journal knows that writing is a
>therapeutic process that helps integrate seemingly unconnected life
>events. Some believe the process works because the physical act of writing
>(using your hand-eye coordination) occupies your left brain, leaving your
>right brain free to access emotions, intuit connections, and create new
>
>insights.

When learning to be a teacher one of the principles I was taught was that 
the more of the senses could be involved in the learning process the higher 
the retention. I'm skeptical of right brain/left brain theory as well as 
the "therapeutic" value of journaling but I know that one of the more 
valuable things I learned to do was to take notes in lectures. Even if I 
never again referred to them, I remembered far more of the material than 
when I did not take notes. It is a good way to focus your mind on the here 
and now and away from the 'the babbler' that we all carry around in our heads.