Gifts >From a Journal

by Carolyn Dickman

I have difficulty making time for journaling more than once a week, but I do it because it helps me reduce my anxiety and fear by expressing my feelings and seeing a deeper truth that doesn’t occur when I just think about problems. One of my goals is to do it more often. Looking at my thoughts is so much different than trying to sort them out as they bounce off the walls of my mind. It helps me: see solutions for problems, notice what works/what doesn’t, exhaust negative emotions, organize my thoughts and be clearer headed.

You Don’t Have to be a Writer to Keep a Journal

Remember, journaling has nothing to do with being a ‘writer.’ It is an exploration of the ‘self.’ It is a reflection so you can see anxieties, thoughts, feelings, and events as you experience them. You can write about feelings in a way that might be impossible to do verbally.

I remember being VERY frustrated at not being heard by someone important in my life. I was awake for hours turning it over and over in my mind. Finally I got up and started writing. I certainly did not send the first draft! After focusing on exactly what I wanted the other person to hear, I had a very good presentation that expressed my feelings and thoughts accurately. I sent it and the problems were resolved. I know from past experiences that even if there had been no resolution I would have felt tons better just because I wrote out the problem, frustration, and the solutions as I saw them.

Know How to Keep a Journal

Making a habit of journaling will bring you benefits in organizational skills: list making, clarifying, time management, and prioritizing. As with any “exercise,” schedule the time and place so you know when and where you will work on your journal. Allowing 20-30 minutes in the late afternoon or early evening works for some. Others like to keep their journal handy for spontaneous additions. I recently walked down into a valley at a state park to view a falls. There sat a young woman penciling away in a worn old journal…I just had to smile.

The Benefits of Keeping a Journal

Many tell me they turn on the relaxation tape and take one minute to do their breathing, as they begin journaling. The use of questions is often a great springboard for writing. “What am I feeling right now? What am I anxious about? What is making me feel sad? What do I need right now?

A Therapeutic Journal Writing Exercise

Try this old exercise to help you reduce anxiety about a problem or troubled relationship that you have. (You may wish to do this with your therapist if the subject/issue is extremely painful.) Write a letter to someone you have ‘unfinished’ business with. (Do NOT send it.) Write a letter back to yourself, pretending it is from the person that you were writing to and in the manner that you think they would respond. Then write another letter to yourself but this time, write it in the way you WISH they would respond. This is often very insightful and therapeutic because you can sort through your anxieties and unknowns regarding the situation.

Writing Accomplishments in a Journal

I recently wrote in my journal (Things Worth Remembering), to ensure that I remembered, “I drove on the California 405 at 4:30 p.m., on a Friday!.” If you remember, driving is one of the things that makes me anxious. You know that I was so serious about helping others to recover from this that I made a tape on the subject called Driving with Comfort. Can you imagine my giddy delight at driving the 405 and not breaking even a glow because of anxiety, fear, or worry? (For you youngsters, glow is a euphemism for sweat.)