If you’re thinking of journaling for mental health, I can’t recommend it enough. It was one of my top New Year’s resolutions for so many reasons. Journaling can do wonders for your health, providing you with a creative, cathartic release, allowing you to rid yourself of daily stresses. It also allows you to look back on your journey to reflect on personal patterns of behavior, growth and how you’ve overcome challenges that once set you back.
How to get started with journaling for mental health
The most important thing about journaling for your mental health is simply getting started. Here’s how to do it.
1. Get a journal:
Really, you don’t have to use an actual journal if you don’t want to. It could simply be a “journal” by texting yourself every day. Basically, as long as you’re keeping a record of it. And only you can see the text! You could also type out your journal entries in an email (caution, see above) to yourself or simply write in a regular notebook. No need to overthink it. Whatever you want to use, designate a “journal.”
2. Decide the purpose of your journal:
The overall purpose of your journal is for your mental health, yes, but consider more than that. Do you want to alleviate stress? Or work through trauma? Do you want to write about your day because you feel like you don’t have anyone to talk to? Mentally prepare yourself for what your journal will be for. You can even use your first journal entry as a letter to yourself and your journal about the purpose.
3. Write with consistency:
Journaling will be more effective if you stick with it. Write down your thoughts, feelings, ideas, dreams, goals, etc. as often as you feel you need to. This might be daily, a few times a day, or only once a week. Make time for it, though, and then pay attention to how it’s affecting you. Do you feel like it’s making an impact in relation to its purpose?
4. Let go of expectations:
Your journal is for you. It doesn’t matter if it’s in incomplete sentences or if words are spelled wrong. If it’s just a list of things you thought of when you woke up that morning, that’s fine. It only needs to make sense to you.
5. Decide if you need more help:
Taking care of your mental health isn’t always something you can do alone. Journaling is one way to try and improve your it, but don’t be afraid to seek professional help if you feel like you need it.
Journaling prompts to get you started
Sometimes it’s hard to know what to write about, especially if you’re new to journaling. For the most part, you’ll be the only one who reads your journal, so you can write whatever you want. If you need some ideas for what to write about, though, try one of these prompts.
1. List three things you’d like to tell a friend, family member or partner right now.
2. Write three things you love about yourself.
3. What are you grateful for at this moment?
4. What is your favorite childhood memory?
5. The one who you trust the most and why?
6. What motivates you?
7. A negative childhood memory that you’ve been holding onto and how can you work through it?
8. What is one of your biggest regrets and what can you learn from it?
9. On the flipside, what has been one of your biggest accomplishments in your career?
10. What are some of your biggest fears and why?
11. Your top goal for this year? And the next five years?
12. How are you feeling right now?
13. Write three positive things you want to remember if you’re having a bad day.
14. How would you describe yourself to someone?
15. What brings you stress and how can you alleviate it?
Source: cnet.com©
Photo credit: MundusImages/Getty Images
Related reading: How to Keep Writing When Your Life Blows Up – TUTORING YOU
Discover more from TUTORING YOU
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
