CREDIT: FRESHSPLASH
Journaling can help you work through your emotions by putting your feelings down on paper.

What if someone asked you to start journaling when you find nothing works to fix your life or mood or when you are stressed or in a situation where you do not have a clear path toward your future?

Though mental health experts recommend journaling as a healing strategy, many doubt it. The reason for that may be that many people do not know how to do journaling and how to measure the progress made by engaging in journaling.

According to the American author Natalie Goldberg, journaling is, “Writing what disturbs you, what you fear, what you have not been willing to speak about.”


Journaling is similar to writing in a diary, but you have more freedom regarding what you can write, how you write, the language, or what you draw or paste. The best part of journaling is that it is a safe place to share your feelings, not a place with judgment, or it does not embarrass you.

First, you have to select a book or notepad. There are books specifically designed for journaling. A spiral, hard-covered book is the ideal. If you can find something with an attractive cover or a body of your favourite thing, this will be more interesting. If you use a beautiful journal, you may feel free to keep it always with you. However, you can use a variety of digital options for journaling too. Then, it would be best to grab your favourite coloured pens, pencils, crayons, and maybe a glue bottle to paste pearls, buttons, cloths, ribbons, and stickers.

There is no recommended time to write in your journal in the beginning because you may have a lot to write and that may be urgent. There is no page limit to the writing in the initial days. Just let your emotions flow. You can write anything from your dreams to your crush. For example, if you have nothing to write, listen to a song related to you or your feelings, then write the lyrics. It is a start, somehow. You can add the date, time, and the location also. Then, you can paste a sticker or two. That’s it. This practice will tempt you to use the journal again and again.

You can keep a separate time to do journaling. Some people journal as soon as they wake up, and some do it just before bed. Also, you can limit the writing from onethird of a page to two pages. It is essential to fill the book without keeping a lot of space. Start journaling by writing a quote or lyrics of a favourite song on a typical day. Write three things you can be grateful about. Write the most memorable events of the day. Then, mention your three primary goals for the year. If you are not in a good mood, write what you feel or think. Listen to a song or meditate on such occasions before writing the journal. With time, you may feel your improvement. If you want, you can read back and see your progress once a month.

There will be a time you may find out that you have no more unnecessary feelings where you had one month before. If you feel that page is not worth keeping in the journal anymore, burn it. Experience the progress.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.