Journalling

Journalling is all about you. Its not about the documentation you need to keep for court, or a to-do list to make sure everything gets done. Its all about giving you a chance to reflect on your thoughts, feeling and emotions and how to process the good, bad and ugly of the day. Writing things down on a regular basis, journalling, has many advantages. Here is a few that I can think of right now:
  • The act of writing  out your thoughts helps some people to order their thoughts, process them and place them in order. 
  • Journalling provides a historical record of where you have been, where you are and even provides some people with a view to where they are going. Some time in the future you can look back and appreciate how far you have travelled.
  • Journalling can be releasing. You don't have to use words, you can draw, paint, photograph your journey, Some clients write and send text messages to themselves. Exploring different ways to express yourself can really open up your mind and unleash your creativity.
  • If you use different tools to explore different things on your mind, journalling can help change the connections between your thoughts, feelings, emotions and behaviour. Journalling can help you make sense of and change "Stinking thing"



General tips:
To help with getting stared, here are some ideas I would like to share with you:
A really focused tip:
I really recommend that you include this in your journalling. It comes from an understanding of power and control abuse, narcissism and the power of positive psychology. The original text comes from Karyl Macbride's book "Will I ever be free of you?" (2015 p.140).

You can internalise negative messages that you will now have to release to find your own reality.

Your (toxic/controlling/abusive/narcissistic) ex used to tell you ... You are lazy and dumb.

Now you journal ... The things you do that are productive and the things you have accomplished in your life that took your intelligence. 

Your (toxic/controlling/abusive/narcissistic) ex used to tell you ... You are not attractive.

Now you journal ... The things you like about your appearance. review compliments other have given you over the years.

Your (toxic/controlling/abusive/narcissistic) ex used to tell you ... No one else will ever love you.

Now you journal ... To remind yourself that this world has many people and a match is out there for you when you are ready.

Your (toxic/controlling/abusive/narcissistic) ex used to tell you ... You are not good enough..

Now you journal ... The things you do well and teh personal qualities that you are proud of, such as your character, value system and integrity.

Your (toxic/controlling/abusive/narcissistic) ex used to tell you ... Your feelings are wrong.

Now you journal ... That you feel what you feel and have that right. You remember that feelings don't have brains. you are learning to trust your feelings again.


These are just a few examples of the internalised messages you may be experiencing. Go through the negative messaages you have been subjected to at your own pace and work through them to discover your own truth and reality.

Websites and clips:

Science and research type stuff:

Shen, L, Yang, L, Zhang, J & Zhang, M, 'Benefits of expressive writing in reducing test anxiety: A randomized controlled trial in Chinese samples' Plos One, 2018. PDF available here.

Murnahan, B, 'Stress and Anxiety Reduction Due to Writing
Diaries, Journals, E-mail, and Weblogs', 2010, Seniors Honors Theses, Eastern Michigan University. PDF available here. 
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