Journal Writing and Wellness
Do you journal?
Many people I speak with are committed to a regular journaling process in their lives. I meet many others who journal here and there. There are as many reasons for journaling as there are individuals journaling: for expression, for the love of writing, to track daily events and epiphanies, to not forget things, to work through difficult decisions and feelings, to dump thoughts from the mind to get on with the day or to get to sleep, for grounding, for meaning-making….

In addition to the infinite number of personal reasons, research has substantiated that therapeutic writing, writing that explores experiences, thoughts, and feelings, contributes to improved physical and psychological well-being (Pennebaker, 1997).

Did you "used-to" journal?
I meet "used-to" journalers all the time. In fact, I was a "used-to" journaler myself. People put down their journals every day for as many reasons as they picked them up in the first place. Often people feel stuck in their writing. Finding different journal techniques may help breathe new life into your journaling process. If you have always used free writing, perhaps experiment with a structured list. Explore the internet. Read a book on journaling or writing. Take a class and develop a toolbox of journaling techniques. If you find yourself always writing on the same theme, try a prompt outside of your normal repertoire. If you tend to write in isolation, explore opportunities in joining a journal group. The power of writing along with others is potent.

Have you thought journaling is "not for me?"
Journaling is so many things. Journaling can be writing pages and pages. It can also be writing a brief list. It can be doodles, souvenirs stuck on a page, collage, paint, phone messages, or a blog. It can be a diary of dreams, a record of hopes, or a list of five things you are grateful for each day. Journaling can be a daily venture, a weekly venture, even a monthly venture. There is no one right way to journal. There are many right ways and the trick is finding a right way for you.

The process of journaling provides a tremendous opportunity to explore wellness and balance in your life. Some steppingstones for this exploration might include:

1. How do I define wellness? You might engage with this prompt through writing, noting the thoughts and feelings that come to mind in response to the question. You may also take this on visually. Consider gathering images from magazines that speak to you of wellness and construct a collage of these images. You can combine both and write your reflections to the image you have created. This act of reflecting on our writing or creating adds an important level of richness to the process.
2. How do I evaluate myself on each dimension of wellness that I identify (these may include physical, emotional, occupational or vocational, spiritual, family, social, etc.)? This could be a written exploration or a graphic one. Many wellness models depict a wheel with the various domains wedges of the circle. You could work with your evaluation using these visual models, as well.
3. What balance do I desire? Definitions of balance are individual and personal. We do not all seek out the same equilibrium. What type of balance do you desire to strike in your life?
4. What will contribute to achieving my desired balance? What will be a barrier? Identify those factors that will support your desired balance as well as those that may stand in the way. Nurture those supports and plan for addressing the barriers.
5. How will I track change? Perhaps in your journal!

Links:
CA Workshops: Upcoming schedule includes journal offerings: Workshops

Kay Adams and The Center for Journal Therapy: Kay, a leader in the field of journal therapy, presents a "Journal Writing: A Short Course:" journaltherapy.com/journaltherapy/journal-cafe/journal-course

References: Adams, K. (2000). The write way to wellness: A workbook for healing and change. Denver: Center for Journal Therapy.

Adams, K. (1990). Journal to the self: Twenty-two paths to personal growth. New York: Grand Central.

Pennebaker, J. (1997). Opening up: The healing power of expressing emotions. New York: Guilford.

Betsy Harrison, MA LCMHC is founding partner of Counseling Associates, a licensed clinical mental health counselor, and a Certified Journal to the Self Instructor.® In addition to her clinical work, Betsy leads workshops on reflective writing and visual journaling.