Using a journal can help express how you are feeling. With anxiety your emotions can really take control of your life, you don't want to leave the house or socialise. You do want to speak to someone, but at the same time, you don't!
It can be a very frustrating time for anyone, no matter where you are in life.
The time has come to highlight the growing importance of mental health awareness and the various tools available for managing mental well-being. Any tools I have found that has helped me on my journey, I am sharing with you now in the hope that it can give you some peace.
I can, out of nowhere, become very overcome with emotions sometimes, which I am sure my family can agree. When this happens, I go to my worry journal and start to use the rationalisation section. I write how I am feeling and why I am feeling that way. I then re-read what I have written and rationalise my thoughts. I have honestly found this so helpful.
Journaling has been proven to have the ability to reduce stress, anxiety and depression. It can provide a safe space for emotional release and self-exploration. It is something between you and you! No one will ever read what you have written, so feel free to completely express all of your feelings and emotions.
Did you know the act of writing engages the brain and promotes self-awareness and reflection! When dealing with any mental health problem, it is sometimes difficult to understand why you are feeling the way you are. I know that when I eventually asked for help, I was asked, 'why do you think you are feeling like this?', I did not have an answer. I just knew how I felt but I could not understand why I was feeling this way. It was an extremely strange sensation, why was I so sad, why was I hiding away from everyone and why did I constantly feel like crying ALL THE TIME!??
When I was introduced to journaling, I thought it was silly. I was never a writer. Even growing up, I didn't keep a diary, I wasn't interested. Now, I couldn't live without it!
It helps identify triggers, patterns and negative thought cycles. For me, I have never felt like I was worthy of anything. I had always felt 'less than' around family and friends, like I was never good enough.
Since I began to journal, I know that these things are just negative thoughts that have no rational reason behind them. I had conditioned myself to feel the that way.
I use my journal, not only to keep track of my mental health, mood and daily dairy but to write out the positives in my life, to help with my mindset.
It is important to assign a designated time to journal. Without some sort of structure, there is the chance that your mental health can dip again. Trust me, structure is key!
I highly encourage anyone who is struggling to start journaling right away. Combining journaling with other practices like mindfulness, gratitude, or goal-setting can enhance its effectiveness.
That I why I have created my own journal, which I have been using for the past year. I have added it to my shop in the hope that it can help you too.
A monthly overview for organisation, a new mindfulness quote for every month of the year, a mental health checker, blank pages for you to journal and much more. The thing I love most about my journal is that it is digital, so you can just keep adding pages if you want, you will never run out of space!
It is so important for you to save all your journal entries, then you can go back on past entries to identify positive changes and to track your progress.
I encourage anyone reading this who is dealing with any form of mental health issue that has not tried journaling, to start now!
I really hope this blog post has helped you understand why I promote journaling so much!
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Until Next Time,
The Unsocial Butterfly