By Steve Price
There are a plethora of ways that individuals have to de-stress and concentrate on that which really matters. The world is such an imposing force that it can lead to clutter of the mind and physical space. Often times, finding a way to decompress and allow the stress of the world roll off your shoulders can be a difficult task. The imposition of stressors in life, some a necessity for living well, can be taxing on our mental health and our energy reserves. That is why one of the most important things we can do in life is carve out space to remove ourselves from the proverbial rat race and find time for ourselves and our emotional wellbeing. One of the classic tools at our disposal for this purpose is journaling, a methodology that has long been practiced to great effect by people all over the world.
Journaling is, at its core, a way of recording events and feelings engendered by the world in which we live. There is no correct way to journal, and a variety of methods to put pen to paper so to speak. The benefits of journaling are vast and offer an umbrella to individuals looking to step in from the storms of life. One of the most prescient benefits of journaling is the recitation of events that move on us during the day, the encounters we have in the world with other people or stimuli that leaves an imprint on our psyche. Particularly effective as a stress relief technique, the art of journaling can help us unload some of the mental baggage that we carry around on a day-to-day basis.
Many people are hesitant to journal their days, worried about their skill with the written word. To be sure, many people refrain from the opportunity to journal because they feel as though they do not write well or dislike the practice because of its perceived difficulties. This betrays the fact that journaling is intended for an audience of one, yourself! Your writing talent has little to no bearing on your ability to journal about your day; in fact, journaling can be an excellent way of improving one’s ability to write through repetition and learning tricks to the trade that can help get our feelings down on paper or a digital space. Writing talent is acquired just like any other skill, through patient practice and diligent study. The only way one can fail at journaling is to refuse to journal altogether.
With that in mind, there are certain techniques that one can employ to better get a handle on journaling. These are the methods that millions of people use every day to unleash their creative side and take a stab at unloading the pressure that accumulates during the busy days. Some of these are self-explanatory; some are obscure yet fun ways to go about journaling. In all events, the practice of describing the day and how it impacted you is the key target to hone in on. With a little bit of practice and a lot of love for the practice, you can make hay with any number of journaling techniques.
Buying a Physical Journal. The classic composition book can be found in all manner of general goods stores and are the time-tested and true method of helping one to journal. Having a physical book to write in can be a great stress relief technique, as writing long form can be almost meditative in its serenity and quietness. One need not buy an expensive tome to write in, either; event planners and even regular composition notebooks can suffice; just pick up your pen or pencil and start writing!
Create a Blog for an Audience of One. Setting up a blog has never been easier thanks to the prevalence of blogging sites around the internet. Sites like LiveJournal and WordPress offer easy to use templates for free that can help you set up your own blog. Millions of people around the world use blogging to decompress and get their feelings out, and many pick up an interested and engaged audience in doing so. The best part of blogging is that you can break it down into topics, allowing you to specialize in the areas that will most benefit your mental health and clarity.
Write it Out in Poetic Form. This is an often overlooked but deeply clever way of expressing oneself in a manner most artistic. Writing poetic prose is an amazing way to find a creative outlet for helping to unload stress in a fun and inventive way. The absolute best poems come from the heart, and journaling is no better way to have your heart laid bare on paper. Try simple poems that express your feelings in a meaningful way, and you might be surprised at how much fun you have testing your writing prowess!
Lean on Photography. It may surprise you to learn that journaling does not even necessarily require the practice of writing words down at all. Sometimes we can create photo diaries that help memorialize important events in our day and help us to remember the good and cope through the not so good. Almost all of us have cameras on our cell phones these days that can suffice as a simple yet effective tool at working to create photo journals that we can look back on over time and reflect on the changes that take place in our lives.
However you decide to journal, know that the process can be extremely rewarding and fruitful for those that decide to try. Far from requiring a learning curve, there is no one right way to journal, and experimenting with different methodologies could be an important part of achieving mental health wellbeing. The only way to fail is to not to try, and through the means listed herein or searching for other tips online, it has never been easier to journal. Take a chance on the practice and see how much it helps you in your daily life!
