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About Journaling
“In moments of ecstasy, in moments of despair, the journal remains an impassive, silent friend, forever ready to console, to confront, to contain, to cheer on. Its potential as a tool for holistic mental health is unsurpassed.”
- Kathleen Adams, Journal to the Self
Anyone can keep a journal
What is journaling?
Studies of journaling or “expressive writing”
Why is writing so beneficial?
The simple act of journaling allows us to examine our beliefs, desires, and hopes; exult in our celebrations and excise our sorrows; and explore the changes we make—or don’t make—in our lives. Journaling gives us the opportunity to slow down long enough to begin the process of personal understanding and self-directed change. We constantly “talk” to ourselves in the privacy of our minds, and in times of crisis, this talk can lead us in circles or carry us away from what is most important to us, which only compounds the problem. Yet by committing our words to the page (or computer screen), we become our own compassionate listener.
As a long-time journal-keeper, I have experienced this power first-hand and seen it in the participants in my workshops. I am a certified instructor of JOURNAL TO THE SELF®, created by psychotherapist Kathleen (Kay) Adams, an internationally-acclaimed pioneer in the field of journal therapy, to provide a powerful yet easy-to-learn method of writing for personal growth, healing, and change. She understands the transformative powers that can be available to anyone willing to write in a private journal for as little as a few minutes a day. Kay is also the founder of The Center for Journal Therapy and author of several journaling books, including her best-selling Journal to the Self. Thousands of people around the world have taken JOURNAL TO THE SELF® workshops led by certified instructors.
Kay says this about the power of journal writing: “Life-based writing is one of the most reliable and effective ways to heal, change and grow. Your life journal, whether it takes the form of a notebook, computer screen or blank book, creates a present centered between the past and the future. The power of writing is accessible to anyone who desires self-directed change. It requires no special talent, skills or experience—only a willingness to explore moments of ecstasy and moments of despair, critical illness and crucial life choice, psychological healing and spiritual discovery.” I agree!
You can write in a beautiful journal, an inexpensive spiral-bound notebook (my favorite), or even a three-ring binder. You can keep a journal on your computer. Should you be physically unable to write, as after a brain injury or due to a disability, you can speak a journal into a recording device or to a trusted friend or counselor who writes down your words. What is most important is that you give yourself permission. Top
A journal is a record of a life, with dated entries and written with some consistency over time. Journal entries can contain anything the writer wishes to record, such as events of the day, dreams, poems, quotes, art work, and musings.
Many people ask about the difference between a diary and a journal. Both are records of a person’s life, so calling them one name or the other can be a matter of semantics. However, with the rise in popularity of journaling over the last few decades, we now usually make a distinction. We now usually define a diary as a record of mostly objective truth—brief reporting about what happened during the day. For instance: “My boss got mad at me today, and it made me so angry, I came home and kicked the dog and yelled at the kids.”
As we now use the term, a journal is more about emotional truth in that the writer goes beyond merely recounting or reporting what happened to include deeper feelings and thoughts too. Maybe something like this: “My boss was mad at me today, but I didn’t understand why he was so angry. I felt like crying, and realized that I used to feel that way when my dad yelled at me. So I was able to calm myself for a while. But the commute home was so frustrating, my anger flared again and I walked in the door and tripped over Spot, who’s always in the wrong place. I kicked him in anger so he would move. Then the kids started crying about that, so I yelled at them. After I saw what my anger at my boss had done to me, I apologized to the kids and hugged Spot too. There was no excuse for my behavior. I have to figure out why I do these things when I’m angry. It’s not healthy.”
As you can see, a journal is more reflective than a diary. Journal writers give themselves more opportunity to do self-exploration by going below the surface of events to look at their emotions.
Many people ask about the difference between a diary and a journal. Both are records of a person’s life, so calling them one name or the other can be a matter of semantics. However, with the rise in popularity of journaling over the last few decades, we now usually make a distinction. We now usually define a diary as a record of mostly objective truth—brief reporting about what happened during the day. For instance: “My boss got mad at me today, and it made me so angry, I came home and kicked the dog and yelled at the kids.”
As we now use the term, a journal is more about emotional truth in that the writer goes beyond merely recounting or reporting what happened to include deeper feelings and thoughts too. Maybe something like this: “My boss was mad at me today, but I didn’t understand why he was so angry. I felt like crying, and realized that I used to feel that way when my dad yelled at me. So I was able to calm myself for a while. But the commute home was so frustrating, my anger flared again and I walked in the door and tripped over Spot, who’s always in the wrong place. I kicked him in anger so he would move. Then the kids started crying about that, so I yelled at them. After I saw what my anger at my boss had done to me, I apologized to the kids and hugged Spot too. There was no excuse for my behavior. I have to figure out why I do these things when I’m angry. It’s not healthy.”
As you can see, a journal is more reflective than a diary. Journal writers give themselves more opportunity to do self-exploration by going below the surface of events to look at their emotions.
