When was the last time you wrote your thoughts down? Did you notice how therapeutic it was? Did you notice more clarity? More relief? Maybe it has been a while since you have done any kind of expressive journaling (maybe you have never tried it). If so, I think you will be amazed at how much it can do for you. Journaling has been shown to help:
Organize the mind
Work through emotions
Channel creativity
Gain a greater appreciation for life
Alleviate anxiety/depression
Improve mood
Reduce stress
Become friendlier
Become more goal oriented
Solve problems
There are many forms of journaling, but here are a few styles and principles that my patients and I have found helpful. Test, mix and match these different styles to fit your needs, but most importantly, try it. If you can manage to work this into your routine at least 1-3x/week, you will thank me later.
Use pen: Pen (or thin tip markers) commit you to your writing rather than spending time erasing. Also, typing is less preferable to handwriting.
Get visual: Map out graphs, diagrams, or other visuals for your complicated thoughts.
Don’t be intimidated: It doesn’t need to be perfect or eloquent. This is your therapy journal. It’s not a biography for your later posterity. No one is going to publish this later. Don’t worry about the end product. It is a single experience to be enjoyed each time.
Post-Exercise: Right after you get done exercising or meditating is a great time to pull all the thoughts from your head onto paper.
Before bed: Right before bed is also a great time to pour your thoughts out of your head and into your journal.
Poetry: Some of my patients find poetry (especially free verse) a powerful tool of expression.
Goals: What does the future look like? What do you want to achieve? What would you like to improve? Big picture dreams? Immediate actions?
Ideas: Have an interesting (or uninteresting) idea? What about something innovative? Philosophical?
Questions: What questions are you wrestling with? What resources do you have to approach them?
Gratitude: This is a game-changing approach that should be implemented at least weekly. At first they might be the generic, basic things, but as you continue doing this, you will become more specific and more aware of all the great things around you.
Spirituality: Record your spiritual experiences. What happened? What were the emotions? How did this change you?
Timer: Set a timer. 10 minutes is a great place to start. Setting a timer will induce urgency to write, rather than let your mind wander.
Write lists: Sometimes you have so much zooming around in your head, it’s nice to just get it down on paper in an organized way.
Stream of consciousness: Without any agenda or purpose, just start moving your hand and pen on the paper. Write the first thing that comes to mind. Go with the flow.
Keep it positive: It’s okay to write about things you want to improve, or vent about something that is bothering you, but don’t let negativity become the theme of your writing experience. Seek solutions and serenity with this exercise.