Journaling
This involves the therapeutic use of journaling exercises and prompts to bring about awareness and improve mental health conditions as a result of inner and outer conflicts. According to the Center for Journal Therapy, it is the “the purposeful and intentional use of reflective writing to further mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health and wellness. Some examples and ideas of journal exercises include:
- Journal prompts: also known as writing prompts, are journaling ideas that help you to focus on what to write. Using journal prompts give you a clearer direction before you start writing. It could be questions that are all about you. Examples can be – What kind of day are you having, and why? What’s your favorite color, place, food, book, song, or movie, and why? What do you like to do? How does it make you feel? Where are you happiest? Describe that place. What’s something you’re good at? What makes you good at it?
- Journaling with Photographs: People choose personal photographs, this could include events, family, friends and places of travel or a milestone life event. Questions can include things like “What do you feel when you look at these photos?” or “What do you want to say to the people, places, or things in these photos?”
- Letter Writing: You can choose to write to anyone, including people you know, parts of yourselves, or someone you may have lost. For example, an individual might write a letter to a deceased parent to tell them what he or she is going through. It could be a letter to a long-lost friend or you may even address it to yourself when you were of a younger age or a different stage in your life.
Journal writing has become a popular self-help tool. The key to such an exercise is to be honest with yourself, honor your thoughts, feelings, and experiences with the authenticity they deserve. More work gets accomplished when you are your genuine self in your writing. Save everything you write, when appropriate, and review it often. The process of going back to what you have written can not only spark inspiration for future writing but can offer perspective on how far you have come. Using timed writing exercises can help you avoid writer’s block and help you tap into relevant unconscious material.