Journaling.
In a world filled with constant stimuli and daily challenges, taking care of our mental health has become more crucial than ever. Amidst various therapeutic practices, one simple yet profound method stands out — journaling. Putting pen to paper, or in my case text to screen, can really help improve your mental state and become a therapeutic process for you.
Journaling serves as a safe space where one can unload their thoughts and emotions without judgment. It can help reduce stress and potentially have an emotional release. There are studies our there, which I will remember to put a link in the bottom, that talk about how writing and journaling can help individuals that suffer from traumatic or stressful events in their lives. I personally have been writing in a journal for most of my adult life. It all started when I was trying to write lyrics for songs I was creating on the guitar. I found it so interesting how my mind would wonder, but always come back to trauma’s that I’ve had in the past. Writing it out helped me walk that event again and slowly understand or at least make some sense of what was bothering me in my head. It’s hard to explain, but I know it works. It has helped me to gain some clarity and self-reflection.
A good practice to keep in mind while journaling, would be to track your progress. Some journals can be purchased that help you do this, I will put some links below for you to check out and one that I personally use. Try to record some of your daily triggers or mood changes, just to write it out and see how it progresses when you reflect later down the road. One big thing I like to do is go back and re-read some of my journal. This helps me really reflect on what I was putting out there and see if I have made any conscious changes, and if not then I make an effort to be conscious about this issue or event again as the days roll on.
Further, journaling is a powerful and accessible tool for maintaining and improving mental health. It is a powerful tool that no one else can access except you, and you have the ability and power to make meaningful progress or change if that is what you need. Find the time to express yourself in this way and see how it impacts your life.
Journal for organizing your day