Journaling is a practice of keeping a diary or journal which explores thoughts and feelings concerning events of your life. In my teenage years I kept a diary to help me keep track of things happening in my life just so I could have a word album to help me reminisce. This went on and on until I started transitioning to adulthood. Keeping a diary seemed childish but little did I know what was coming my way. By then I had no idea what depression was or the kind of effect it has on people that don’t act upon it quickly.
Every day after I put an end to my diary entries my mind became a library filled with a lot thoughts and it didn’t do my mental health any justice. It’s important to note that until recently mental health was not considered a major issue. So during that period I had no one to confide in and writing was the last thing on my mind. With the help of the internet I learned that depression that’s unattended to can turn out to be quite messy and it’s when I learned about journaling to help improve mental health.
Having lost control of my thoughts and emotions my life seemed so stagnant and confusing. This resulted into many anxiety attacks and depression phases. A journal is a helpful tool in managing your mental health and it is one of the best healthy outlets in which you can express yourself and keep track of your emotions and feelings.
Journaling helped me control my symptoms and improve my mental state by:
-Helping me prioritize my fears, problems and concerns
-Tracking any day to day triggers of depression and learning ways to control them
-Availing a 360 dimension of positive self-talk and identifying negative behavior and thoughts.
There’s no specific method for journaling but here are a few tips to help you get started:
–Write every day; Set off a few minutes each day and write in your journal. Schedules tend to be tight but healing starts with you literally starting.
–Use your journal as you see fit; some people like to share their journeys but if you are not comfortable then keep it confidential, what matters most is your progress.
–Keep it simple; in the beginning I focused a lot on what book and pen I should use and honestly there was no writing done. Start with what you have because as you progress the journaling essentials come naturally to you.
–Write anything and everything; do not be picky on what you write, it’s your journal and you are in charge of whatever you put down on paper.
It’s safe to say journaling has helped me get my mental health in check because I do not look at it as medication but rather my relaxation time. I always look forward to it and am always eager to know whether I moved two steps ahead or back, my thoughts or innermost fears and more. Choose a comfortable place and favorable time let loose and pour your heart out, look at it as a reward for a better mind, body and you.
In case you feel the need to educate yourself on everything mental health please visit this link https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-types-illness
There are plenty of websites but i chose that one, feel free to visit others Google is not your enemy.
Yours truly,
Linda S.A
The CystaHood 