Putting paper to pen has surprising benefits to mental health. A simple, yet effective tool to help ease the burden of stress, learn personal triggers, patterns, and a way to decompress.
WHAT
Journaling is a personal practice of recording your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. It involves writing down your daily reflections, events, and emotions in a private notebook or digital platform. It’s a simple yet powerful way to gain insight into your life, understand the impact of your thoughts on your feelings and actions, and identify unhelpful thinking patterns or cognitive distortions that may be creating or maintaining stuck points.
WHY
Journaling serves multiple purposes. It provides an outlet for self-expression and can be therapeutic. It helps you track your emotional patterns and identify triggers for stress or anxiety, all while recognizing how your thoughts shape your emotional responses and actions. Additionally, journaling can enhance problem-solving skills, boost creativity, increase self-awareness, and reveal those unhelpful thinking patterns that keep you stuck in cycles of negativity.
HOW
Start by setting aside a specific time each day for journaling, at a time that works for you. This might be before you go to sleep, when you have your morning cuppa, or before you switch your computer off at the end of the day. You can use pen and paper or a digital journaling app, depending on your preference. Write freely without worrying about grammar or structure. You can choose to focus on a particular event or simply let your thoughts flow. Over time, review your entries to identify recurring themes or stressors, and the unhelpful thinking patterns or actions that may contribute to them. Journaling can be a helpful tool for better understanding and managing your emotions, changing negative thinking patterns and actions, and breaking free from stuck points.
