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KEEPING A JOURNAL Ingrid Lawrenz, MSW One of the most beneficial things you can do to aid your counseling experience is to: journal. Keeping a journal can help anyone lead a more balanced, proactive, productive and emotionally healthy life. What is a Journal A journal is a personal notebook where you can privately record your honest thoughts and feelings. It is a place to communicate with your self. Journals Can Include: 1. Thoughts 2. Opinions 3. Goals 4. Confessions 5. Plans 6. Feelings about: a. Self b. Others c. Events d. The future e. The Past 7. Problem solving and pro & con lists 8. Creative ideas 9. Sketches 10. Prayers 11. Letters to people (you never mail) 12. Descriptions 13. A log of symptoms or events 14. Dreams 15. Poems 16. Things you want to remember 17. Notes from a book you want to apply to yourself 18. Memories 19. Things you'd like to say to someone 20. Values 21. Beliefs WHY KEEP A JOURNAL 1. Writing helps you to clarify your thoughts 2. It helps you identify your emotions 3. To see something in writing validates your experience 4. Writing things down helps you remember them 5. It allows you to vent your feelings 6. It helps you to know yourself 7. It clarifies your identity 8. You can learn from past experiences by reading what you wrote previously 9. It's a great way to talk to God 10. It forces you to look at yourself 11. It helps you "be still" long enough to learn what is going on inside you 12. It helps you concentrate in order to problem solve and make decisions 13. It aids you in being proactive 14. The communication of self - to self, can be healing and promote self acceptance 15. You can look at what you've written and see things in your life you want to change 16. You can see progress you've made 17. You can see answers to prayers 18. It can help you clarify reality by writing down what you know to be true 19. Writing can unleash ideas and creative thoughts 20. Writing can keep you accountable to yourself (for your values and goals) 21. Journaling events can help you face shame and let go of it 22. Journaling your anger can empower you (and it helps you to not take it out on someone inappropriately) 23. Journaling your emotions can help you not "act out" in addiction or compulsion 24. Journaling a situation can help you decide what needs to change or be forgiven 25. Journaling can lead you through a processing of a memory or event in order for you to "let go". 26. It allows you to see patterns you might otherwise not have recognizes. 27. Journaling teaches you to be more self aware and increased self awareness opens you up to be more receptive to positive change How to Keep A Journal * Find a spiral or bound notebook that you like and feel comfortable using * Keep your journal in a private but convenient place * When you're getting started and especially while you are in therapy try to write in it daily for at least 10-20 minutes * Most people prefer 20-60 minutes of journaling at a time to make it meaningful * Once you are in the habit of journaling you'll probably find yourself writing in it only as you need to (it may not be everyday) * While in counseling - journal what you experienced: in session, between sessions and what you hope to discuss in your next session * Bring your journal to counseling - but it is only for your private use to take notes in or to remind yourself of things to discuss * While journaling do NOT worry about penmanship, grammar, spelling or complete sentences. DO NOT re-read to edit your writing * Some people like to begin some of their journal writing with "Dear God" . . . * If you get stuck, it is helpful to just start writing stream of consciousness . . . ("I don't know what to write, my mind is blank, I'm sitting here . . . ") R e m e m b e r - Journaling is your private means of processing your life. You can't journal "wrongly". Your journal is the window through which the self can see the self and learn from the self. |
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