How to journal for mental health
Folks who never practiced keeping a journal before can often find it hard to get into the activity. Many people feel a pressure to journal the “right way,” or else feel at a loss as to where to start. Others may feel uncomfortable with the idea of writing about emotional problems that feel big and unsolvable. And yet there is a reason why therapists so frequently recommend journaling as a supplement to the work done in session. Journaling can help a person to externalize spiraling thoughts, can help to clarify feelings that are murky, and can help to reinforce healthy coping strategies when they are needed most.
The following are a few strategies you could use to guide you in journaling:
Take notes on your life.
Approach journaling as though your life is a class and a test is coming up. Let journaling be a practice of reviewing your day and paying special attention to significant details and themes. As you are “taking notes,” keep in mind that the journaling practice you are building will directly impact your success in the future as challenges arise.
Write to your future self.
A lot of anxiety boils down to uncertainty about how we will cope with challenges in the future. Sometimes we don’t trust our future selves enough to deal with those challenges. We try to resolve future problems by worrying about them in the present.
When you feel this kind of anticipatory anxiety, take some time to write to your future self. Try to capture what future-you needs to know in order to be as successful as possible. Let journaling be a way to communicate with and support your future self. Then, leave the rest to them.
Write to your past self.
Just as we sometimes don’t trust our future selves enough to cope successfully with challenges, we don’t always recognize the growth and change that has taken place within us over time. When feeling overwhelmed, it’s good to be reminded of how far you have come from where you started. Think back to a time when you were struggling to understand big things in your life. Try to explain things to the you of that time by sharing your perspective and experience.
Write using prompts to get you started.
Think of journal prompts as essay questions that need detail and evidence to support your ideas. Journal prompts can be found online, or suggested to you by your therapist for a more personalized experience.
Here are some example prompts that you can try right now:
How am I feeling right now?
What do I need right now?
How are my emotions showing up in my body at this moment?
What is bothering me today and why?
What made me proud today? What made me feel guilt or shame?
What are my intentions for tomorrow? For next week?
Ultimately, there is no wrong way to journal and you should feel free to experiment with different strategies as you are building a journaling practice. Talk with your therapist about what comes up for you as you take time to sit, reflect, and write!
