Healing Journal

Keeping a journal is one of the most effective tools in healing. It is your safe space, your punching bag, your mirror. It will accept all of you without judgment. It will accept all of your anger without fighting back.  It will draw out deeper questions. It asks you for your honesty. And in the end, it shows you how far you’ve come.

Journaling was pivotal in turning my mindset around. It’s strange, but constantly thinking about your issues just keeps you in the middle of it. When you put your thoughts down on paper, though, your mind takes one step back. You see the bigger picture, and you can see yourself a little clearer, too.

Using what I learned from my own experience, I will be posting several prompts to get you started. In the beginning, you may feel reluctant, even scared, to write down what you are truly thinking. But with practice and some courage to be brutally honest, your healing journal will become an essential part of your life. 

Tips for Keeping a Healing Journal

• Get a notebook and a writing utensil that makes you feel excited about journaling. But this doesn’t need to be fancy! I journal with leftover composition notebooks and pencils that my kids bring back at the end of each school year. Since conserving trees is important to me, this is what makes ME feel good!
• Don’t let your inner critic silence you, however, don’t silence your inner critic either. All parts of you deserve to be heard, so write everything down!! Don’t be afraid to have a conversation with yourself. That’s when real growth occurs.
• Question everything. Ask yourself why as if you’re a four-year-old again. Keep asking until you feel satisfied with the answer deep inside your gut.  Sort out how you truly feel from what you’ve been taught to think.
• Worried about someone reading your journal? Continue writing over the same line several times until it’s illegible. You’ll get to let out steam without giving away your secrets. Becoming aware of your true feelings is far more important than keeping a neat journal.

If interested, please take a look at some of my mandala notebooks on Redbubble, Society6, and TeePublic.