Write About It!

Journaling serves as a powerful and accessible method for enhancing mental health, providing a judgment-free environment to examine thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Studies show that documenting emotional experiences can alleviate stress, diminish anxiety and depression symptoms, and even promote physical health. Consistent journaling aids individuals in gaining clarity, identifying thought patterns, and nurturing better emotional regulation. It fosters self-awareness and introspection, both essential in working towards accountability and "your ideal self". Whether used to process challenging experiences, monitor mood fluctuations, or emphasize gratitude, journaling offers a straightforward yet effective approach to nurturing your mental and emotional health.

Now that we know why it works for so many people, it's time for you to try it out yourself. Start with a notebook, or even a piece of printer paper if you don't have a journal lying around, and a pen. You could type your journal entries, but I would recommend old-fashioned pen and paper. If you don't know what to write, start by answering these prompts:

• What are you grateful for? Wy?

• List 10 things you love and why each thing brings you joy.

• What is something you can do to make yourself feel better tomorrow?

• What does your mental health stop you from doing or make it hard to do?

• What motivates you? Exhausts you? Gives you hope for the future?

• Describe your happy place in great detail.

• What would your "ideal self" look like?