Why Journal?

Did you ever have a pink fuzzy diary to write down all your innermost secrets when you were a kid? Journaling as an adult is a similar concept: another place to put your emotions and reflections when life gets overwhelming. There are other benefits to journaling besides the part it can play in your healing journey; it is inexpensive, able to be done anywhere at any time, and provides a direct link to your emotions rather than bogging down your mind.

Journaling is a great asset for releasing daily stressors, creative, and cathartic releases. The University of Rochester Medical Center found that journaling can control symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression and improve your mood by:

  1. Helping prioritize problems, fears, and concerns
  2. Tracking any daily symptoms so that you can recognize triggers and learn ways to better control them
  3. Identifying negative thoughts and behaviors and providing an opportunity for positive self-talk

5 Ways to Benefit from Journaling:

  1. Find a quiet place and time. It might not be the best time to bring your journal out in the middle of class or a crowded subway car, but establishing a safe space to jot down your thoughts will be more beneficial in the long run. Bonus points if it becomes a routine!
  2. Write in any style. These can be long paragraphs, bullet points, or short sentences. Whatever helps to get those thoughts down on paper is important, not how you get them there. It can vary day-to-day depending on energy levels and time constraints, but as long as you know what it means, it works.
  3. Do not suppress anything. Remember that this is your journal. Unless you have a snooping roommate or family member, no one will be reading this but you. No one’s feelings are getting hurt if it stays in the confines of those pages. Meraki Lane, a lifestyle and wellness hub, stresses the importance of being truthful to yourself. Talking yourself out of how your feelings will only set the healing process back. Acknowledge those emotions and continue to the next step.
  4. Seek to interpret your writing. Rather than just venting into the lined paper, the Reflection app finds reflecting on your writing “can give you an increased sense of clarity and perspective.” Turning those words into something concrete that can be worked on outside of the writing process is a way to take your journaling to the next level.
  5. While reflecting on these emotions, this is also an opportunity to turn negative self-talk into something positive. Rather than being upset about a past situation, try and find what you can gain from it. Is it empathy? Education? Strength? Whatever it may be, walking away with a more positive outlook than when you first came into the writing process will help to advance one’s healing.

10 Writing Prompts to Get Started:

  • What emotions from the past are you holding onto?
  • Is there anything you wish you would have appreciated then that you do now?
  • What are the key stressors in your life? Do they link to your past experiences (have they changed since)?
  • Do you have feelings of anger or resentment? Why? How do they manifest in your actions or thoughts?
  • Do you think your past trauma holds you back from your present life? How so?
  • How can your experience help others? Or how can you ask for help from others?
  • What would you want to say to me if you had the chance?
  • What do you hope for in the future? How can you get there?
  • What are 3 things you can do to make you feel safe within yourself?
  • What are ways you can express self love? How can you incorporate them into your daily routine?

The experiences you journal about are yours, and no one can change them or take them away from you. Processing past wounds through writing and reflecting is so important and will hopefully accelerate your healing. Remember that you are not alone. If you or a loved one are struggling, please contact:

  • National Domestic Violence Hotline: thehotline.org / call 800-799-7233 or text ‘START’ to 88788

References

Meraki, Lane. “Journaling for Mental Health: How to Start Journaling and Keep it”. Retrieved from https://www.merakilane.com/journaling-mental-health-start-journaling-keep/.

“How to Start and Keep a Meaningful Journal-Writing Practice”. Retrieved from https://www.reflection.app/blog/how-to-start-and-keep-a-meaningful-journal-writing-practice.

“Journaling for Mental Health”. Retrieved from https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentID=4552&ContentTypeID=1.

“Top Evidence-Based Benefits of Journaling for Mental Health”. Retrieved from https://www.reflection.app/blog/benefits-of-journaling.

“Trauma Healing Journaling Prompts”. Retrieved from ​​https://ambitiouslyalexa.com/trauma-healing-journal-prompts/.