Journaling Is A Healthy Coping Strategy
December 7, 2020
By Adelle Stewart, Executive Director of the Do More Agriculture Foundation
Journaling isn’t just about writing down what happened one day, the rainfall record, or the first sighting of a spring Robin. The benefits of journaling for self-care far outweigh the awkwardness of trying. You don’t have to be a writer or an author to use journaling as an effective way of expressing and exploring your thoughts and feelings.
There are many ways to journal. You do not need a fancy leather-bound cover and ballpoint pen. You can write an email that you never send. You can type a note out on your cell phone. You can even voice record your comments out loud. The important thing is to give those feelings an outlet and a place to land that is outside of your head. Saying them out loud or writing them down provides a different type of introspection - like a mini therapy session with yourself. It is unbiased, and the only judge of content is you. Sometimes reading it back or listening to it over can provide you with a new perspective that may help you move forward from the situation causing distress.
There is no need to put pressure on yourself to write something riveting. Simply writing down or speaking what you are feeling can have immense benefit. For example, if you find yourself irritated or sad - and don’t have a direct cause as to why - journaling may help you explore that feeling and perhaps even uncover where it is stemming from. Maybe it was one instance, or maybe many stacked on top of each other. Write, or speak to yourself without judgement. Just let the words flow. Once the words begin to flow, usually true feelings start to unravel like the layers of an onion.
The importance of an exercise like journaling is that you will receive unbiased feedback - from only yourself. Journaling allows us the truest form of feedback, which will align with your core values. It may be awkward at first because once you uncover what is bothering you - it might require follow up with others, such as implementing a boundary or making space for your self-care. Other times, simply getting it off your chest and out of your head is enough to let it go completely.
You can keep your notes or journals to look back and reflect on, or you can delete them, rip them up, or toss them in the burning barrel. There is no right or wrong way to use this strategy for self-help. The best way to journal - is what feels right to you.