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Keeping a journal can help you learn more about your thoughts and feelings. It’s not always easy. It can be hard to write about bad feelings. But writing in a journal is a great self-help method.
Tips for keeping a journal:
- Don’t just write about things that happen. Focus on your thoughts and feelings about those events.
- Write for yourself. This helps you to be honest. (At some point, though, you may want to share the journal with someone. It could be a counselor, or a trusted friend, or family member who can give you feedback.)
- Set the stage. Find a comfortable spot to sit, take a deep breath, and begin. Keep writing for 20 minutes without stopping.
- Write every day. It may help to write at the same time every day, maybe after dinner or before bed.
- How well you write doesn’t matter. You don’t have to use complete sentences or good spelling.
- Buy a journal you’ll enjoy using, perhaps with drawings or colored pages. Use colored pens or pencils if you like.
- If you don’t like to write, record your thoughts on a cassette recorder.
Sample entry
“I had a panic attack on the freeway while on my way home from work tonight. It was just overwhelming fear. I had to pull over and stop the car. My thoughts were racing. Some of my thoughts were: “What’s wrong? Why do I feel this way? When will it stop? How bad will it get? Can I function? Am I going to die or go crazy?”
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