As a Bethesda Counselor, journaling is one of my favorite ways to manage mental health because it is so simple and fun! Journaling is the act of regularly recording your thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, and all the other stuff happening in our minds, and writing it on a page. It gives us the opportunity to brain dump, taking all the thoughts and anxieties in our day and transferring it onto paper, in a journal or on the notes app on your phone to clear up space in our heads. Journaling can help with anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and have long term improvements on mood, stress, and can even help fight off diseases. It doesn’t have to feel like a chore, it can be an opportunity to get creative and get curious about your life! There are even different kinds of journaling styles for Mental Health.
Here are Three Fun Journaling Styles For Mental Health to try out:
Daily Journaling
Did you ever have a diary when you were younger? This type of journaling is kind of like that. Daily journaling involves reflecting on your day, it can be long and detailed, noting every hour or it can be a summary of your thoughts and feelings. You can even start with a journal prompt if you’re not sure where to start. This type of journaling creates a space to process and check in with yourself regularly, mark time, and to look back on to see the progress you’ve made. In addition, I love to end my daily journal with a gratitude list of the things that I was grateful for throughout the day!
Art Journaling
For those who like to get creative, art journaling is for you! Similar to a sketchbook, art journaling is a place to take your emotions and turn it into art, in whatever medium you prefer. Whether it’s to process your emotions, documenting your life, or just creating a safe space to explore your creative ideas, art journaling is a great and unique route to do so! To spice it up, add objects from nature or from your travel to the art!
Stream of Consciousness Journaling
When so much is bouncing off the walls in your brain, a stream-of-consciousness journal is a great way to spill it all out onto paper. This type of journaling involves writing without a prompt or goal in mind. Just writing to write, even if it’s writing “I don’t know what to write about” over and over again. One of my favorite examples of stream-of-consciousness journaling comes from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, a book that outlines the idea of “morning pages” or an exercise that has you free-write three pages every morning, challenging yourself not to stop writing until you hit that three pages mark. You never know what might come up for you!
At times, journaling may bring up feelings, thoughts, and emotions that you’re not sure what to do with. Contact a Bethesda, MD counselor to explore more!
