Journaling is a powerful and transformative tool that aids in growth and the healing process across generations. As a former Baltimore City public school teacher, I had my students maintain a daily journal in which they could free-write about what was on their mind or respond to various writing prompts. I watched how the power of the pen helped young people at various levels release bottled up emotions that they could not articulate in spoken word. I have also seen how the creative writing process sparks light in young people who felt as if they did not have a voice. I also use journalling in my own journey to process difficult emotions and situations, to strategize my next moves, or just connect with my creative side by dropping a rhyme or two.
The beauty of journaling lies in the ability to let one's guard down and have a safe haven to just be without judgement... mistakes in all. It is a private space that allows you to just flow. This healing effect can be greatly amplified when surrounded by nature. However, any space or setting will do. Journaling while in a moment of chaos allows you to tune in within and block out the noise around you.
Some people use social media as a modern form of journaling or expressing their feelings and difficult emotions. However, social media is most definitely not the space or platform for this type of personal writing or expression. Unlike social media, journaling allows you to connect with yourself without the often unhelpful chatter or comments of people on a public platform. Also, the beauty of pen and paper is that, if need be, the pages can be torn up or destroyed if one does not have a safe place to store it. Social media on the other hand is pretty much a permanent record of feelings that you may not want the world to see after your crisis or after you are no longer feeling the emotions you felt.
Tearing down the emotional flood gates can start with responding to a simple question such as "What am I feeling in this moment and why?” As your fingers grasp your pen and your mind and spirit guide each stroke, you can easily see the words turn into a couple sentences, to paragraphs, or even pages depending on the depth of what you release or address. Even though it allows you to be present, journaling is not just for the present. It also provides you a platform to go back and review your entries to look for unhealthy patterns or situations that need to be addressed, plan for the future, and marvel at your growth.
Journaling has a wide array of purposes and prompts. Here are a couple additional prompts to get your fingers moving:
- What are 5 things that I'm grateful for today? (Writing about gratitude in even difficult times allows you to focus on the positive.)
- What would I like to see differently about my current situation and life? What steps can I take to manifest these changes? (This type of writing allows you to start planning for change.)
- Reflect on your most positive experience. Describe the experience and how you felt. (This prompt puts you in a place of positive reflection.)
- Is this current situation that I'm going through similar to past situations I've experienced? How are they similar? How can I break this undesired pattern? (This prompt puts you in a space of reflection and growth.)
- What can I control in this situation and what can I not control? (This puts you in a space of realistic expectations and peace.)
- How can I turn my feelings into a poem? (This connects with your creative side.)
As you pick up your pen and start connecting with your inner self, you will not only uncover aspects of yourself that you did not know existed, but you will also improve your mental health and journey into an oasis of endless possibilities. As my favorite poet, Maya Angelou once said, " There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you."
Happy Writing!