Unveiling the Power of Pen to Paper: A Journey into the Magic of Journaling
Have you ever bought a brand new journal and had all these ideas ready to jot down, and then you write a few journal entries and …… Yeah me too. More times than I’d like to admit. I have so many lightly used journals it’s embarrassing. Although recently, I have been journaling, like actually journaling, as much as I can. Sometimes they are small entries and other times much longer. Regardless the length, it has been really helping my day to day. Especially if I am going through something tough or I can’t stop stressing about something, I jot it down and it allows my brain to rest and focus on the important tasks for the day.
Journaling works wonders when kept up with. By jotting our thoughts down on paper it helps us to not focus on all the stress we are dealing with and gives our thoughts a safe place to stay until we can work through them. Journaling has helped me see certain situations from outside the box to make better decisions and find better ways to work them out. That in-and-of itself is huge for me as I tend to stress over situations that I have no control over. To be completely honest, I am one that will worry about the worst case scenarios often. This makes having a relaxing day, pretty impossible. This is why I have really focused on my journaling practice.
For so many, adopting a journal practice has shown to reduce stress by providing a safe outlet for expressing emotions, enhances self-awareness with helping people understand their thoughts and feelings, has been linked to improved mood, aids in goal setting and promoting personal growth, serves as a problem solving tool and creative outlet, as well as a valuable tool for preserving memories and capturing life experiences.
Today marks the second anniversary of my mother’s passing, and journaling is one thing that has helped me process my grief. Sometimes I write how I am feeling that day, other times I write letters to my mom. These letters have helped me say the things I wish I could say to her now and tell her about all the exciting things going on in my life. The times I don’t know what to write, I research journal prompts to help me explore my feelings. When it comes to my grief journey these below are some prompts that I’ve really loved.
Hope these help you too!
Journal Prompts for Processing Grief and Trauma
Describe a favorite memory with the person or situation you are grieving.
Reflect on the emotions you are experiencing and identify any triggers that may come up.
Write a letter to the person you lost, expressing your thoughts and feelings.
Journal any guilt or regrets you may be carrying and consider ways to forgive yourself.
Make a list of small, achievable goals to help rebuild a sense of control and routine in your life.
Document how your grief has evolved over time, noting any shifts in intensity or perspective.
Identify the supportive people in your life and describe how they have helped you during this time.
Think of any activities that bring comfort and solace, and how you can incorporate them into your routine.
Reflect on lessons learned from the experience and how you’ve grown.
Consider seeking professional support and jot down any reservations or hopes you have about therapy.
Journaling is a very personal experience. There is no right or wrong way to journal. The goal is to write your feelings exactly how you feel them and don’t judge or change anything to make it sound better. You are human and sometimes we have strong feelings, and we have the right to feel them just as we are. Journaling helps us get them out on paper instead of taking our anger and frustrations out on the people around us. Trust me, you can do this! P.S. If you are afraid of someone finding your journal and would rather keep it where no one can find, I recommend creating a Word document and adding a lock code (under Protect on Microsoft Word) or download a journaling app with a passcode. :)
