In Defense of Journaling (With Tips for Beginners)
By McKenna Uhde
From One Struggling Journaler to Another
McKenna here! If you’re here you’re likely considering journalling, or have tried and are on the fence about it. When I first moved to Australia, I thought it would be the perfect time to start documenting my travels. Until I came home to find a boyfriend reading my private notes. Journalling, already being quite a vulnerable act, was made impossible. It took me years to return to that form of writing as a therapeutic tool. Because that’s what it can be: therapy, discovery, documentation.
Journaling for Discovering Purpose
Like meditation, journaling can clear our minds. Journaling serves many purposes and can untangle our thoughts to help us to reflect, grieve, or practice gratitude. It can also feel vulnerable, but the best part is, there is no right way to do it.
Participating in pageants for much of her adult life, journalist and Miss Wisconsin USA 2020, Gabriella Deyi shared with us how discovering her “why” sparked a renewed sense of self and impacted the way she treats her body. She previously lived under the misconception that her value was determined by how she looked on the outside. After learning her “why,” she transformed into the best and most balanced version of herself.
Douglas LaBier, PhD agrees that there is A Hidden Link Between Your Life Purpose and Physical Health. Understanding your “why,” or purpose, takes time, reflection and a bit of work, but navigating life without one can lead to a false sense of security where you may be reliant on career goals, money and possessions—all of which can be taken away in an instant, leaving an empty sense of self and adding undue stress. Through writing it is possible to uncover your own “why.”
Writing Down Your Goals
As far as your personal life is concerned, Lily Walford of Love With Intelligence suggests using her Compatibility Matrix to really hone in on what your life looks like - your lifestyle, interests, passions - and identify what you’re looking for in a partner. It’s a tried and true way to establish goals like joining groups, finding new friends, and making connections. While you may think, “I already know where to go to meet people,” time goes so quickly. Writing these things down may help to get you moving.
Writing break-up letters to debt is the philosophy that allowed author Melanie Lockert to get out from under crippling student loans. After sharing her reflective journey online, others all around the world chimed in with their debt stories and started the phenomenon Dear Debt. She uses journaling as a method to take positive steps and dream about life after debt. Melanie also reminds us that "you are not alone, and you are not a loan."
To Track Your Health and Overall Wellbeing
Journaling can be used as a tool to detect and correct symptoms in our bodies. In her episode about connection, Food Psychology Coach Rita Glynn shares her journey with health and wellbeing and explains how listening to our bodies provides insight into the relationship between food and feelings. She encourages us to have an appreciation for our symptoms and helps us understand the relationship between what we eat and how we feel. When we start paying attention to these symptoms, we are more able to respond in a way that feels manageable. Being a steward of your own health can make all the difference.
Rita suggests taking control of the mind-body connection in relation to the way we feel by journaling what we eat each day to document how we are feeling. Because she is a dancer, she is also a huge advocate for incorporating movement into our wellness practice each day in any way that suits us—walking, stretching, dancing, yoga, etc.
In our episode Parenting Series: Sports and Mental Wellness, professional athlete and coach Priscilla Tallman combines her love of children and sport with her degree in clinical psychology and athletic experience to positively impact the young athletes she has in her care. She uses her 30 Day Reset Journal to walk her team through mental health, mindset, goals, values, and communication with their teammates and themselves so they can become the healthiest and most productive athletes and individuals.
For Your Future Self
Personally, what helped me get back into journalling was the idea of my future children. If I do decide to have kids, I would like to remember how I felt in my 20s (and as I can still remember what it felt like to be a teen not so long ago) and keep an informed account of triumphs and tribulations, to best support those that I love later.
In our parenting series, we spoke with Dr. Becky Kennedy who gives us practical advice on how to have conversations, word tricky discussions, and maintain our calm. These tips I’m always writing down.
But it was our episode with Michael Tyler, author of The Skin You Live In, that really encouraged me to take note of important moments. He shared many stories with us about how he uses life experiences, poetry, imagery, language, love, and empathy to have conversations with his children about race. Writing down lessons I’ve learned is a great way to stay in touch with troubling emotions, and remain connected long-term.
To Cope
In our Coping Series, spoke with Allyson Dinneen, Psychologist and author of Notes From Your Therapist, who has spent much of her career physically writing down her thoughts and notes on emotional and psychological hurdles, and often just thoughts she’s had throughout her day. These short jots of information are a great way to start uncovering some bigger thought processes.
No matter how you decide to journal, it never hurts to give it a try. You may even find yourself along the way.
The HIP Team’s favorite journals:
30 Day Reset Journal by Priscilla Tallman
The 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: Give Thanks, Practice Positivity, Find Joy
Have questions or tips? Reach out to us! We’d love to hear from you and learn how we can best help on your wellness journey.