Journalling

You’ve likely heard of journaling—and may have even tried it yourself. Some try it for a bit before stopping while others keep with it. Why do people journal? If you journal, why did you start journalling?

Journalling is the act of putting your ideas, thoughts, and/or feelings down somewhere, whether it is electronic or on paper. When you do this, it can help break the cycle of ruminating on certain thoughts since journalling can serve as an outlet. In addition, it has the ability to help folxs process through their experiences. In doing so, it allows the person to be mindful of what may have led up to the incident and hold space for their resulting emotions/thoughts. Additionally, it can be helpful when your supports may not be available to process with you. There are many benefits to journalling.

Your journal does not have to look a certain way for it to be effective as it is just for your eyes. If you are a more creative person and/or have difficulty expressing your emotions, you can doodle or create art to express your experiences. Many folxs can get stuck on what to write about after a day or two, which is why people tend to stop or drop it.

If you would like guidance, these are helpful prompts you can consider for daily journalling:

• What are you grateful for?

• What are your day's highlights?

• What did you learn today?

• What have you not noticed before?

• What are some activities you completed today?

• How were your thoughts/feelings throughout the day? Did they fluctuate or shift?

• Is there anything you want to change about your life?

• What keeps you motivated?

• What do you admire about your friends/family?

• What things brought a smile to your face?

We encourage folxs to try journaling for at least a week to see the benefits. Journaling is a skill that can be incredibly helpful, especially during difficult times. Once you develop it as a skill like working out, it will not take as much effort to use and has the ability to help your mental health when used in healthy ways. Similar to how we work out for our physical health, journalling can be working out for our mental health. It is okay to start off slow...writing one sentence per day or even an inspiring quote you resonated with that day can be helpful.

If you want more support in your mental health journey, feel free to reach out to us.

Stay tuned. The next topic is TBA.

Written by Elena Duong, Psy.D.

Edited by Susanna La, Ph.D.