{"id":98,"date":"2018-06-02T15:16:30","date_gmt":"2018-06-02T01:16:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mooncrowned.com\/blog\/?p=98"},"modified":"2018-06-03T15:28:48","modified_gmt":"2018-06-03T01:28:48","slug":"journalling-for-mental-wellbeing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mooncrowned.com\/blog\/?p=98","title":{"rendered":"Journalling for Mental Wellbeing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally posted at The Catastrophe Club.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever talked to a health professional about your anxiety, they probably mentioned journalling. That\u2019s because there have been a number of studies that demonstrate how useful regular journalling is for managing stress, anxiety, and depression – and it\u2019s something that anyone can do, which doesn\u2019t cost a lot of money or take up a lot of time.<\/p>\n

How you journal depends entirely on your needs and preferences!<\/em><\/p>\n

Want to focus on the positive? Try gratitude journalling – every day before you go to bed, write down three things that have happened that day for which you are thankful. Sometimes, this can be the big stuff (the war is over! I got married! Brooklyn Nine-Nine was renewed!) and sometimes it\u2019s the little things (I woke up feeling peaceful, I found my lucky pencil, the way my cat stretches and yawns is cute). The idea is that we spend enough time and energy worrying about all the bad stuff (apparently something like 80% of automatic thoughts are negative!) so by investing time in noticing and being thankful for the good stuff, we build up our resilience and regain some control over our reactions.<\/p>\n

Not a words person? Try colouring! You can buy colouring-in books and journals, simply print pages off the internet, or create your own drawings – then sit down and focus all your attention on the act of creating art. This is mindfulness in practice: engaging the senses of your body, focusing on the moment, making time. If anxiety is worry about the future or past events, then mindfulness is a solution that brings you to the present, meaning your brain has less ability to give anxiety space.<\/p>\n

Can\u2019t stop worrying about a particular incident? Try a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy trick – the thought record. Write down the context of the worry: what happened, where, when, with whom? Describe how you felt, and on a scale of 1-100%, how strong those feelings were. Think about facts that support how you\u2019re thinking about that incident – remember, facts are externally verifiable evidence, NOT judgements or personal interpretations. What things might contradict the thoughts you\u2019re having? How could you think about this incident in a different, more balanced way? Finally, rate your mood again to see whether this exercise helped. You can find a basic Thought Record Template here<\/a> (PDF).<\/p>\n

Do you lie awake at night, thinking about all the things you have to do? That sort of rumination builds anxiety up, making it more and more difficult to get to sleep! One of the best tips for dealing with it is to keep a notebook by your bed, and make lists of the things you\u2019re worrying about. Tell yourself that once it\u2019s written down, it\u2019s dealt with for now. The next day, you can work through the list at your leisure. If you\u2019re a stationery addict, there\u2019s a huge range of day planners available to make this easy and enjoyable.<\/p>\n

One new type of planner is the bullet journal. These have been around for several years now, and are terrific for people who are prone to writing to-do lists on every scrap of paper they have, as well as people who like beautiful stationery, arts & crafts. Bullet journalling is exactly what it sounds like – instead of writing diary-style entries, you make bullet point lists and can use symbols, grids, diagrams and all sorts of creative ways to track items. There\u2019s a huge fanbase around bullet journalling, so if you become obsessed, there are plenty of like-minded people to share and create with. Try searching #bulletjournal on Instagram!<\/p>\n

Okay, I hear you say, it\u2019s 2018! Who still uses pens and paper?? Well, I have good news – there are more journalling apps for your devices than you could ever imagine. A really simple, mental health focused one is \u201cWhat\u2019s Up?\u201d – available on both Android<\/a> and iOS<\/a>. Along with tools for managing your calm, coping strategies for managing your thoughts, and information on a range of mental health issues, What\u2019s Up also has a diary section to help you log your day, habits, and more. If you\u2019d like to try digital colouring-in, take a look at Colorfy for Android<\/a> and iPhone<\/a>. Both of these apps are free, but there are also paid apps with more in-depth options, if you decide that the digital life is for you!<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re keen to give journalling a try but don\u2019t know where to begin, try these writing prompts:<\/p>\n