JOURNALLING

What is journaling?

It's simply writing down your thoughts and feelings to understand them more clearly.

3 Reasons to try journaling:

Stress reducing - journaling helps to manage stress, helping to lessen the impact of stress factors on your health. Writing about stressful experiences can help you manage them. How about adding journaling into your pre-bedtime routine to help you unwind and destress?

Mood boosting - journaling can help you improve your mood, giving you a bigger sense of overall emotional well-being and happiness.

A sharp memory - journaling helps to keep your brain sharp and increases working memory capacity.

TYPES OF JOURNALS

There are different types of journals that you can try, and you can be as creative as you like.

Nature Journals – can be used to keep track of the plants and animals you see in nature, especially the species that interest them most.

Daily Prompt – responding to a daily prompt can give you an open-ended opportunity to write about a new topic every day.

Feelings Journal – when writing about your feelings, you can get better at recognising emotions in yourself and others.

JOURNALLING TOP TIPS

Start writing about where you are in your life at this moment;
For five to ten minutes, just start writing in a “stream of consciousness”
Cultivate an attitude of gratitude by maintaining a daily list of things you appreciate, including uplifting quotes;
Start a journal of self-portraits;
Maintain a log of successes;
Keep a log or playlist of your favourite songs;
If there’s something you are struggling with or an event that disturbing you, write about it in the third person;
Be radically honest with yourself and about yourself when journaling—no one else will see it, so there’s no need to try to “look good” on the page;
Date every entry.
Tell yourself the truth.

W hat topic?

R eview/reflect

I nvestigate

T ime yourself

E xit smart

It’s Easy to W.R.I.T.E.

W – What do you want to write about? What’s going on? How do you feel? What are you thinking about? What do you want? Name it.

R – Review or reflect on it. Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths. Focus. You can start with “I feel…” or “I want…” or “I think…” or “Today….” or “Right now…” or “In this moment…”

I – Investigate your thoughts and feelings. Start writing and keep writing. Follow the pen/keyboard. If you get stuck or run out of juice, close your eyes and re-center yourself. Re-read what you’ve already written and continue writing.

T – Time yourself. Write for 5-15 minutes. Write the start time and the projected end time at the top of the page. Set an alarm/timer on your phone.

E – Exit smart by re-reading what you’ve written and reflecting on it in a sentence or two: “As I read this, I notice...” or “I’m aware of...” or “I feel...”. Note any action steps to take.

JOURNAL PROMPTS

If you are tempted to try journaling, but don’t know where to start, how about using some of the following prompts? You could pick one or two to write about, or even start at the top and go through the list.

There are many more prompts that are available online, so once you’ve completed all these, why not look out some more?

What is one item you can’t live without?
If you could add, change, or cancel one rule in your school/work, what would it be?
Who do you trust the most and why?
Where do you feel the most safe and why?
What is one word you would use to describe your family and why?
How do you think others view you? Why?
If you could travel back in time to three years ago and visit your younger self, what advice would you give yourself?
What do you like the most about yourself?
Tell about a time when you felt sad. What helped you get through it?
What is the first symptom you notice when you feel mad? Stressed?
Who is someone you consider a real-life hero and why?
Write about 10 things you are grateful for.

What is the best compliment you have ever received?
In your opinion, what is the best song ever written?
If you could know one thing about the future, what would it be?
What is something you feel nervous about right now?
What is your happiest memory?
What is something that you did that you are proud of?
I get mad when…
What calms you down when you get mad or upset?
What is something that went right today/this week?
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
Name two ways you can show self-control at school, at work, or at home.
What would be the title of your autobiography?
If you had to pick one song to play continuously, non-stop, in the background of your life, what would it be?

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