How to Use Journaling as Self-Therapy

Why Don’t More People Write in a Journal?

I suppose a lot of people either don’t have the time to sit down and write down their thoughts and feelings, or they may think it is self-indulgent and feel silly because they don’t consider themselves to be a particularly good writer. Keeping a journal is not really about creative ability though, and you don’t need to put aside a huge amount of time to do it either. You can easily fit journaling into a busy schedule, and you will want to, once you realize how useful it can be.

What Is Journal Therapy?

When you write down how you feel about something, or even just write down a record of the order of events that happened, you are in effect removing those thoughts and externalizing them. This is a very healthy thing to do because it frees up space in your brain so that you can be more focused and productive in your everyday life, without those thoughts having an effect on your performance.

It also allows you to see things from a more clear and objective perspective, because writing anything down is part of the process of working things out. If you have a problem, whether it is a mathematical one or an emotional one, when you put it down on paper, you can visualize it better and you are able to work it out in a logical manner.

Journal therapy is less about being self-indulgent, and more about acknowledging the things that are causing you stress or dissatisfaction, and helping you to resolve things for yourself.

Often it can just be helpful to use journaling as a way of disposing of all the negativity in one place so that it doesn’t affect other areas of your life. Not everyone wants to be an agony aunt, for example, so you can’t always rely on your friends to hear your trouble. If you write in a journal though, then when you do go to your friend for advice, you can do so with a more positive and productive attitude.

How Do You Go About Starting a Journal?

It is not important to write every single day. The frequency of your journal entries will depend on your own personal needs. Some people find it more helpful to keep an ongoing conversation so that they don’t feel they have to “update” the journal on a series of events when a real problem turns up. Other people only write in their journal when they need to get something off their chest. You will find your own natural relationship with yours.

It is best to start with a blank, undated journal. You can write in dates each time you write if it is helpful. Always remember that your journal is private so it doesn’t matter how you write or what you write about. Keep it in a safe place and use it how you want. You will only be able to get more out of a journal if you allow yourself to feel free with it. You are not writing your autobiography, you are just expelling thoughts and resolving issues.

Many people find it useful to describe a series of events as they happen, or a person’s behaviour, and then they go on to describe what they think about it. The best way to approach your journal writing if you intend to make it a useful practice is to always keep in mind that no matter how much you rant and moan, that you should always aim to try and come to a logical understanding of yourself. A journal is really about self-exploration. You will discover patterns in your behaviour that eventually provide insight into who you are as a person. Keeping a journal properly and for the right reasons can really help a person to grow.

Alternative Ways to Keep a Journal

Not everybody is good at expressing themselves through the written word. Not everybody is capable of writing either. Luckily we are living in a great age where there are many different ways of recorded our thoughts. For example, have you ever though of using your smartphone as a voice recorder? Talking to yourself about how you feel is a really good way of allowing your brain to work out your problems, because you will get to a certain point where you can no longer just complain to yourself because you will see that it is a pointless waste of time. So instead you will naturally start to provide solutions for your own problems, you will come up with new ideas, new plans of action, and you will motivate yourself to move forwards.

Another way of journaling in a much more visual way is to use more visual or creative methods. Instead of writing, maybe you would prefer to doodle, paint or draw? Perhaps you find mind0mapping highly stimulating? Maybe it is the type of journal you choose to write in that will make a difference to your journaling experience.

Some people feel that the traditional leather journal inspires them to spill out their thoughts, whereas other people may feel too intimidated by a pristine and expensive leather journal that they don’t want to mess up, so perhaps these people may prefer to use something a little bit more ‘scrapbook’ or a disposable cahier that can be rolled up and fit into a back pocket.

You will create your own personal and individual, unique relationship with your journal, and also with yourself once you start journaling.

Share Your Journaling Ideas…

Tell us how long you have been journaling for, and how you like to record your thoughts and feelings. Does it make a difference when you write at a certain time of day? Do you find you can express yourself better at night before you go to bed, and does this help you to sleep better, or does it have he opposite effect? Are there ways you think you might be able to improve your journaling method, to make it more useful and less self- indulgent? Or do you not think that matters?