JOURNALING

I love writing; literally physically writing words on paper.  When I was a little girl, I would copy books.  I would use different colored pens.  I would print, write in cursive and try to find new ways to make letters look cool.  To this day, I still love to do it.

When I became an adult, I would write about my day, my dreams, my frustrations, etc.  In the beginning of my diagnosis of depression, my psychiatrist suggested I continue journaling.  She suggested I write down every feeling I had; write like I was talking to a friend; write like I was talking to myself and giving myself advice, and/or write to God.  And that's what I did and have continued to do throughout my life.

What I found very interesting about journaling is this:  While writing my thoughts and feelings, I would spontaneously write something I had not "thought" of.  Have you ever talked with someone and while sharing  you figured out the answer to a problem just by talking out loud?  That's what journaling can do as well.

This process kind of reminds me what our English teachers used to make us do called "free writing".  The teachers would give us a word or subject and we had so many minutes to write anything we thought of during that time.  It did not have to have correct grammar, punctuation, etc.  This process was to help us open up and free our minds.  Well that is actually what journaling has done for me.  There are times I have written out of anger and realized I was actually wrong.  I have come across solutions to problems while writing.  So it has been very beneficial for me.

For me and many others I know, journaling is cathartic.  As I write, I am able to pour out the bottled up emotions on paper.  It is not good to hold things in, and many times we don't have someone we can or want to share those deep dark thoughts with.  Hence, there is journaling.

I encourage you to give it a try.  You don't have to have a "special" journal.  Just get a piece of paper and a writing utensil.  However, you can make it fun.  Go get a journal, a cute or cool looking notebook.  Buy pens or pencils you like.  Decorate your journal.  Do whatever you want.  It's yours.  Make it fun or just use a piece of paper and then burn or shred it if so desired.  Do not make it complicated.  It is not meant to be stressful.  Give it a try.  Comment back to me and let me know your thoughts, if you tried it, and how it went.