Being 3 years since this video was posted I’m not sure that anyone will see this but just in case; firstly this is an excellent straight to the point video I wish I had seen when I first started journaling. Secondly, when I first started trying to journal I would stare at the clean blank paper and get writers block. Until one day something happened that made me so cranky, not full blown angry but really upset and with no one at home to talk it over with it just kept going around and around in my mind making things worse. Then I remembered that so many people say journaling is a great tool against ruminating so I grabbed a pen and some random paper and once I started writing it just poured out of me. My hand had trouble keeping up with my mind 😅 But it was so good that it made trying to journal the next day or so later that I decided it was worth pursuing an exercise book to keep everything in one place and to make my ramblings more secure as random bits of paper could end up anywhere. I don’t journal every day and sometimes I will go several weeks between entries but I do always come back to it. Hopefully this is of help to someone 😊
I am one of those people who just doesn’t know what to write. It’s good to hear that there is a period of adjustment and that my mind will open up. That is very encouraging and give me hope to press on.
Scott, a journaling practice takes a bit of time to create and get the flow going. What really helps is attaching it to a habit you already have and journal for 5 mins - it can really make a difference. If you're struggling with prompts - one of my go-to prompts is "fear shows up for me when..." or pick any emotion or thought that seems persistent to explore. Thanks for leaving a comment, Cecilia
Thank you for this video. It was very helpful. I am suffering from dysthymia from past 10 years and it has affected my daily functioning to some extent. I am stuck and don't have clarity. My therapist suggested me journaling and I was searching for the same on youtube. Your video really helped me. I really hope it works for me.
Thank you for your feedback Aditi - journaling is such a vital tool that's easy to use and has such a great impact in our lives. I hope this video encourages you to take up a pen and start writing
Journaling is the highest cost-to-benefit ratio of anything you're going to do in trying to improve your mental health. The funniest - and even strangest, at the beginning - is how you're not really in control of what comes out. Sometimes you really are surprised about what comes out of you. One cool thing I do, while journaling - is to collect specific questions that I will answer, if "nothing comes up".
I don’t know how I got out of the habit of journaling. For a good 7 years between the ages of 10 and 17 it was a daily ritual for me and it did help me process all the bad experiences I was having with my family and social drama at school. I came to find out recently my mother soaked many of these journals in water to obscure the writing because it revealed so much of the abuse I was going through. I’m 48 now. Of course she told me that they ended up outside in a box during a heavy rain which was complete BS because I had them tucked away in the garage for decades and coincidentally just these books got destroyed.
I'm so sorry to hear of your story - when someone violates our privacy and writing it can truly be heartbreaking. I hope that you are encouraged to find a new journal and start writing again - you have so much story in you that deserves to come out 💛
Sheela, we often over think how to do this - keeping things simple makes it an achievable goal. All it takes is 5 mins per day - you have that much time in a day to sit with a journal and brain dump. Try it for one minute at a time to build up to 5 mins.
You can go "old school" on an iPad with the Apple Pencil, and then tell it to convert to text so that it's readable afterwards, and it can go in the same Apple Notes as any text entry, or photos etc.
Idk if it's weird. I'm paranoid that someone will find my journals and things that go on with me are stuff that people will definitely judge me hard for. Idk how to get this feeling off and start journaling
Hello! This is a common fear for many people - if you live with people, it can come down to setting some boundaries around privacy. If it's a general fear that someone will read it and judge you for it - aren't you allowed to have your private thoughts that might seem 'irrational' at times? Them judging you is a reflection of them and not you. We all have thoughts and feelings in the moment that may not reflect how we always think and feel and journaling is a way to process them and move through them. Don't let fear keep you from journaling!
does anyone have something like a journaling book that already has questions to help with writing? for therapeutic purposes of course.. My friend's dad died two months ago and she still having a bad day till now 😢
There are lots. If your local regular bookstore doesn't have much selection, try a new age bookstore. It's not grief-focused, but one I recently saw was the Journal of Radical Permission.
I love writing in general and I want to start Journaling but I don't want to write down my thoughts, because my anxiety is related to my past trauma, I just don't want to write that down, because I know one day I will read it and will again feel those things. Please can you help me with what else can I pen down. I find writing therapeutic in general.
Hello! Here is a link to my 30 days of journaling challenge mental-makeover-coach.ck.page/665e511823 Also, I always tell people to not re-read their journal - it's not always helpful and it can be triggering. See journaling as something that you can write and not look back on it - some people will burn their journals as a way of releasing it. Hope that helps
Hello! thank you for sharing your process - often anger doesn't lift with one journaling entry. Anger can be a sign that you need some boundaries in that area. Ask yourself - what is anger telling me? What does anger want me to pay attention to?
this is a common fear that people share with me - are you afraid someone you live with will find it? Or someone else? If it's someone you live with, I'd suggest setting some boundaries (if possible). Otherwise, you can keep it someplace safe. I have all my journals since I was 17 years old and if they're found after I die, well...it won't matter then. A journal is your free place to express anything and everything you want without censoring - you deserve that 😊 Here is a guide to get you started bit.ly/31daysjournaling
A technically well-made video. However, there are two things missing for me. First, keeping such a journal without the proper distance to oneself carries a significant risk of re-experiencing traumas, which may unfortunately become deeply anchored due to such journaling. In the video, you should have discussed in detail about how to self-protect from this (e.g. RC - Reframing [self-] Counseling). The mere fact of writing slowly (compared to the speed of thinking) is far from sufficient. Second, I disagree with the statement that anxiety is caused by delusions rather than facts. On the contrary, facts definitely outweigh delusions (70/30, sorry for not providing links to reaserch papers), and only very severe anxiety states can be triggered by echoes of real traumas. I hope you'll supplement what is otherwise a good piece of material. Thanks.
Being 3 years since this video was posted I’m not sure that anyone will see this but just in case; firstly this is an excellent straight to the point video I wish I had seen when I first started journaling.
Secondly, when I first started trying to journal I would stare at the clean blank paper and get writers block. Until one day something happened that made me so cranky, not full blown angry but really upset and with no one at home to talk it over with it just kept going around and around in my mind making things worse. Then I remembered that so many people say journaling is a great tool against ruminating so I grabbed a pen and some random paper and once I started writing it just poured out of me. My hand had trouble keeping up with my mind 😅
But it was so good that it made trying to journal the next day or so later that I decided it was worth pursuing an exercise book to keep everything in one place and to make my ramblings more secure as random bits of paper could end up anywhere.
I don’t journal every day and sometimes I will go several weeks between entries but I do always come back to it.
Hopefully this is of help to someone 😊
Thank you for sharing your experience and how it has helped you - it can be such a gift to journal and find the reward that comes with it
I am one of those people who just doesn’t know what to write. It’s good to hear that there is a period of adjustment and that my mind will open up. That is very encouraging and give me hope to press on.
Scott, a journaling practice takes a bit of time to create and get the flow going. What really helps is attaching it to a habit you already have and journal for 5 mins - it can really make a difference. If you're struggling with prompts - one of my go-to prompts is "fear shows up for me when..." or pick any emotion or thought that seems persistent to explore. Thanks for leaving a comment, Cecilia
Hello Scott - I created 31 days of journaling prompts bit.ly/31daysjournaling
"Pen to paper, because if your mind wanders, your hand stops writing." What a gold piece of information. 😊 Thank You
I'm so glad you found it helpful!
I’ve started journaling and I love it
that's amazing!!!
You’re the first person who has explained in detail the process of journalling and why it works. Thank you so much. I’ll definitely try it. ☺️
I'm so glad to hear that Brini!!! Happy journaling!
Hello Cassandra, I created a 31 days of journaling prompts guide bit.ly/31daysjournaling
4:41 "you don't have to believe everything you think" Wow. 🤯 No, I don't, and from now on I won't. Thank you!
At a point where I needed to hear this. Thanks!
You are so welcome! I created a guide to help you get started bit.ly/31daysjournaling
Thank you for this video. It was very helpful. I am suffering from dysthymia from past 10 years and it has affected my daily functioning to some extent. I am stuck and don't have clarity. My therapist suggested me journaling and I was searching for the same on youtube. Your video really helped me. I really hope it works for me.
Thank you for your feedback Aditi - journaling is such a vital tool that's easy to use and has such a great impact in our lives. I hope this video encourages you to take up a pen and start writing
Journaling is the highest cost-to-benefit ratio of anything you're going to do in trying to improve your mental health. The funniest - and even strangest, at the beginning - is how you're not really in control of what comes out. Sometimes you really are surprised about what comes out of you. One cool thing I do, while journaling - is to collect specific questions that I will answer, if "nothing comes up".
I don’t know how I got out of the habit of journaling. For a good 7 years between the ages of 10 and 17 it was a daily ritual for me and it did help me process all the bad experiences I was having with my family and social drama at school. I came to find out recently my mother soaked many of these journals in water to obscure the writing because it revealed so much of the abuse I was going through. I’m 48 now. Of course she told me that they ended up outside in a box during a heavy rain which was complete BS because I had them tucked away in the garage for decades and coincidentally just these books got destroyed.
I'm so sorry to hear of your story - when someone violates our privacy and writing it can truly be heartbreaking. I hope that you are encouraged to find a new journal and start writing again - you have so much story in you that deserves to come out 💛
Hello, I’m glad I found your page. This is helpful. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful! And so happy to have you here! I created a guide to help - 31 days of journaling prompts bit.ly/31daysjournaling
Great description. Thank you.
I'm glad you found it helpful :)
Brilliant!
I'd love some links to help me explore journalling,
You too have a great day!
Thank you for this video! It does help a lot!😊
I'm glad you found it helpful Esther!
Thank you for this video.its so true...I need clarity of thought.i need to be alone with myself....just do not know how
Sheela, we often over think how to do this - keeping things simple makes it an achievable goal. All it takes is 5 mins per day - you have that much time in a day to sit with a journal and brain dump. Try it for one minute at a time to build up to 5 mins.
Thank you for teaching us. Can I please some links to journaling?
Thank you so much. This video is very helpful. 🇬🇧
You’re really great at this
Thanks so much!!
Great! ❤
Thanks!
You can go "old school" on an iPad with the Apple Pencil, and then tell it to convert to text so that it's readable afterwards, and it can go in the same Apple Notes as any text entry, or photos etc.
Brilliant! I’m going to try this as I want to write my history for grandkids but my handwriting is terrible!
Such a great idea!!
Idk if it's weird. I'm paranoid that someone will find my journals and things that go on with me are stuff that people will definitely judge me hard for. Idk how to get this feeling off and start journaling
Hello! This is a common fear for many people - if you live with people, it can come down to setting some boundaries around privacy. If it's a general fear that someone will read it and judge you for it - aren't you allowed to have your private thoughts that might seem 'irrational' at times? Them judging you is a reflection of them and not you. We all have thoughts and feelings in the moment that may not reflect how we always think and feel and journaling is a way to process them and move through them. Don't let fear keep you from journaling!
@@ceciliamannella7315 Thanks. I'll go for it then
Why not write it on your mobile/desktop and hide the file and give it a neutral title just in case?
I'm actually giving my journals to my family upon my death so I don't care.
I carry a pocket notebook, always in my pocket. Helped me get over that fear 😄
This is so helpful ❤
I'm glad you found it helpful
does anyone have something like a journaling book that already has questions to help with writing? for therapeutic purposes of course.. My friend's dad died two months ago and she still having a bad day till now 😢
There are lots. If your local regular bookstore doesn't have much selection, try a new age bookstore. It's not grief-focused, but one I recently saw was the Journal of Radical Permission.
Hello, there are a lot of options online - I created a basic (not specific to a topic) to help - 31 days of journaling prompts bit.ly/31daysjournaling
I also like, You Are the Magic You Seek by Kristin Drozdowski
I love writing in general and I want to start Journaling but I don't want to write down my thoughts, because my anxiety is related to my past trauma, I just don't want to write that down, because I know one day I will read it and will again feel those things. Please can you help me with what else can I pen down. I find writing therapeutic in general.
Hello! Here is a link to my 30 days of journaling challenge mental-makeover-coach.ck.page/665e511823
Also, I always tell people to not re-read their journal - it's not always helpful and it can be triggering. See journaling as something that you can write and not look back on it - some people will burn their journals as a way of releasing it. Hope that helps
the useful info starts at 00:30
I journaled about my anger and just got angrier.
Hello! thank you for sharing your process - often anger doesn't lift with one journaling entry. Anger can be a sign that you need some boundaries in that area. Ask yourself - what is anger telling me? What does anger want me to pay attention to?
👏👏
The link with journal prompts isn’t working. Could you please reshare it?
Hello! here is the fixed link bit.ly/4dc2THL
@@mentalmakeoverradio Thank you very much.
What if someone finds all I write?
this is a common fear that people share with me - are you afraid someone you live with will find it? Or someone else? If it's someone you live with, I'd suggest setting some boundaries (if possible). Otherwise, you can keep it someplace safe. I have all my journals since I was 17 years old and if they're found after I die, well...it won't matter then. A journal is your free place to express anything and everything you want without censoring - you deserve that 😊
Here is a guide to get you started bit.ly/31daysjournaling
the link for 30 day doesn’t work 😅
thanks for letting me know - here's a new one mental-makeover-coach.ck.page/665e511823
Maybe provide some examples of "brain dump" or journal prompts. Your link does not work
hello! here's fixed link bit.ly/4dc2THL
A technically well-made video. However, there are two things missing for me. First, keeping such a journal without the proper distance to oneself carries a significant risk of re-experiencing traumas, which may unfortunately become deeply anchored due to such journaling. In the video, you should have discussed in detail about how to self-protect from this (e.g. RC - Reframing [self-] Counseling). The mere fact of writing slowly (compared to the speed of thinking) is far from sufficient. Second, I disagree with the statement that anxiety is caused by delusions rather than facts. On the contrary, facts definitely outweigh delusions (70/30, sorry for not providing links to reaserch papers), and only very severe anxiety states can be triggered by echoes of real traumas. I hope you'll supplement what is otherwise a good piece of material. Thanks.
这个想法和我一样，可惜，看来赞同的人不多。
Are you a therapist?
Yes I am :)
I don't do paper. I journal with my $1800 tablet (with a smart stylus) and that's that.
That's great! I have found the best results with writing with your hands instead of typing - so a tablet works great
“Counseling” and “counselor” only have one L.
I'm Canadian and we spell it with double ll's 😏
Uk English 2 ll’s also.
No, it has two. That’s what you got from this video?! 🤔