Journaling for Emotional Wellness

Journaling for Emotional Wellness

A Beginners Guide to Journaling; Experience the miraculous breakthroughs possible by journaling as your thoughts and

emotions are released with paper & pen.

Years ago when I was in a very dysfunctional relationship I used to write my partner letters when I was upset. They were long and heart felt letters where I poured out all my emotions and feelings and disappointments onto the paper. I would tell him everything in that letter that I wished I had the courage and the ability to tell him in person. Don't get me wrong, there were many occasions when I would confront him on issues verbally but he was a master at gaslighting me and before long he would twist things and manipulate the conversation to make things out to be my fault, or that I wasn't remembering things correctly or that I was just grossly exaggerating the situation.

It was in these writings that I felt heard, so to speak. They were the only time I could collect my thoughts and sort out my feelings with accuracy before my partner picked apart my accusations. The ability to write down what I was dealing with gave me a tool to use to evaluate the situation. I was able to let loose all my inhibitions and let all my emotions and feelings pour out onto the paper without reservation. It was cleansing. When I could see my words on paper I

Journaling can be done on any medium; a notebook, a fancy bound journal or even your computer or smartphone

felt validated. Who doesn't need validation in life? It affirmed what I was saying was true and deserved to be heard and addressed.

I didn't know I was journaling.

What I have come to learn decades later is that this was basically the beginning of my journey with journaling as a way to heal my heart and move through this awful situation. My letters were a journal where I could express my feelings, thoughts and disappointments and plan my next move. I could look back at my words and assess the situation for accuracy, trying to separate emotion from fact. I continued to write letters which eventually became notes to myself.. A way of self expression and healing.

The beauty of journaling is such that it can take any form that works for you. Many people like the idea of journaling but don't know where to begin and are intimidated by free flow writing on the page. If you are dealing with a situation that involves another person, journaling in a letter format can be a very simple yet therapeutic way to get started expressing your feelings onto paper. You don't ever have to give "the letter" to the recipient because the letter is simply a tool for you to express yourself. It gives you a way to recollect events, explore facts and evaluate the desired outcomes that occurred or that you wished had occurred. Whether you are writing a letter to call someone out on some way that they hurt you or writing a letter of apology to someone for something you feel you did wrong, this letter format makes expressing yourself quite easy.

Whatever the situation, this is a great way to begin to work through those feelings. Since this writing exercise is for your eyes only, I encourage you to be expressive and don't hold back your feelings. The cleansing release of emotions is where the magic happens.

Another common form of journaling is with the use of journaling prompts. Prompts should be general enough to fit any situation but specific enough to encourage your feelings to spill out onto the page as their purpose is to "prompt" your thoughts and feelings. Journaling prompts should help you identify what is the root of your problem, what are the manifestations of your problem and then help you to formulate what is the desired outcome.

There is something magical about writing down a situation. When we ponder things mentally the issue is often clouded in emotions and mental blocks. But when writing, although we are releasing emotions and feelings, we tend to be more factual and realistic with

all the events leading up to the issue at hand.. Perhaps it is this objective perspective that writing affords, that allows the solutions to present itself more easily. When writing out a problem and the facts surrounding it, the answers tend to be right in front of you..

There is no wrong way to journal.

You can write anything at all in your journal because its yours and yours alone. There is no wrong way to journal. Grammar and spelling are not important.. Unless of course you can't read what you wrote! :) You can write as much or as little as you wish but I encourage you to follow your issue all the way through.

You don't have to buy a fancy journal if you don't want to.. even a plain notebook would suffice or if you prefer to type, use the writing software in your computer or even the notepad in your smartphone. Whatever you chose make sure its something that inspires you, you are comfortable with, you have access to at any time and it is a medium that you feel comfortable using so you will be more likely to make journaling a regular habit.

Journaling can become such a powerful tool. Of course it can help you work through problems with personal and professional relationships but it can also help you work through situations of personal growth and self assessment. ................
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