You may have kept a diary under your mattress when you were a teenager. It was a safe place to share your troubles and anxieties without fear of being judged or punished. Getting all of those thoughts and feelings out of your head and onto paper felt nice. The world appeared to be less hazy. Once you enter maturity, you may have stopped keeping a personal journal or diary. However, the concept and its advantages remain valid. It’s as simple as putting down your ideas and feelings to comprehend them better. Keeping a journal might also be beneficial if you suffer from stress, despair, or anxiety. It can assist you in gaining emotional control and improving your mental health.
We at Prestige Health and Wellness have created a list of ways to help you keep a journal.
There are many ways to keep a journal
- Some people prefer to use a notebook and pen. They may use either lined or unlined paper, depending on the kind of thoughts they want to write down. For example, those struggling with depression might find that writing on lined paper helps them organize their thoughts more clearly and make sense of what they’re feeling. Others may prefer to write in an unlined notebook to be freer with their words and have more creative freedom when it comes time to write.
- Other people like using computers because it’s easier for them than writing by hand, significantly since typing styles vary less than handwriting styles. Writing by hand was common for everyone because computers were not invented yet, but now most people have access to computers, so this has become the most common way people journal today. If you’re thinking about buying a notebook or computer program, make sure whatever type you decide on is something which bests suits your personality!
Some people have success with expressive writing
Expressive writing is a form of journaling that has been shown to help people understand their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. It may be helpful to try this if you have trouble understanding why you feel depressed, anxious or otherwise stressed out.
There are a few different ways to do expressive writing:
- Free-form writing—you can write whatever comes into your head without worrying about grammar or punctuation. You can also use this method for a structured expressive journal by writing about things like relationships with others and how they make you feel as well as your thoughts about the future.
- The 5-Minute Journal (5MJ)—this method asks you to write down one positive thought each day for five minutes to improve your mental health over time through positive reinforcement. This method is intended not only for those suffering from depression but also for those wishing to improve their daily lives overall.
Other people find it helpful to keep a gratitude journal
This is where you write down what you’re grateful for every day or whenever you have time. This can be a great way to improve your mental health.
You could also keep a cognitive journal
You could also keep a cognitive journal. This is where you write down your thoughts and emotions, which can help you understand how your mind works. You might find this method more accessible than my diary or bullet journal because it doesn’t require different organization, but it provides less structure.
A typical entry might look something like this:
Today I worried about: My health/work/life in general
What I did about it was: I exercised and ate healthy food, then decided to distract myself by reading the news online instead of dwelling on the problem too much!
Or you might want to keep a classic diary
If you’re the kind of person, who likes writing and is looking for a simple way to track your moods and feelings, keeping a classic diary could be helpful. You can use it to track your progress in dealing with mental health issues or simply as an outlet for your thoughts and feelings.
You may not have thought about keeping an old-fashioned paper diary before now—perhaps you associate them with being “uncool” (or maybe even “stupid”)—but they’re instrumental if you’re feeling stressed out or anxious! While modern technology like smartphones makes it easy to update our Twitter feeds whenever we feel like it, sometimes all we need is something simple that can help us process our emotions without distraction.
Journaling can be good for your mental health
Journaling is a great way to process your feelings. The act of writing can help you get in touch with your emotions and reflect on them. It’s also a healthy way to express what’s going on inside you, which can help clear up some mental fog. If there are things about yourself or the world around you that don’t make sense to you, journaling can be an opportunity for self-discovery.
If you have trouble sleeping at night (or staying awake during the day), consider giving journaling a try! Writing down thoughts and concerns before bedtime can help clear up some mental clutter so that it’s easier for sleepiness to take over.
But there are a few things to watch out for, too
First off, your journal should be private—that means no one else should read it unless you permit them. Second, don’t try to read your journal entries out loud or let anyone else read them aloud; that’s weird and makes it hard to remember what you wrote! Third and lastly: don’t write anything that could be misinterpreted as threatening (for example: “I’m going to kill him!”). And fourth: nothing related to court cases or job interviews!
It's always best to check with your doctor before starting any treatment of this kind
If you have a medical condition or are taking prescription medication, it’s essential to talk to your doctor first. They can help guide you on whether journaling is suitable for you and how many days it should be done each week.
If you are experiencing mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, then it’s essential that you also discuss this with a professional before starting with the journaling exercise. Your GP may recommend that they support the sessions through an initial consultation or even provide the therapy themselves (in some cases).
In addition, if there are any questions about how to navigate this process safely and effectively, we suggest seeing a therapist specializing in anxiety disorders/depressive episodes, etc.
Journaling is a great way to improve your mental health because it can help you get in touch with your feelings, identify negative thought patterns, work through problems and improve your self-esteem.
When we write things down, our brains process them differently than we think about them. When we put our thoughts on paper, they become more concrete and easier to understand. This helps us develop solutions or ideas that may not have occurred to us before we started journaling. Plus, writing helps us remember the details of what happened, so when it comes time for reflection later on down the road (which is essential), all those details won’t be lost!
