Mental health can be a touchy subject for some. It can be difficult to talk about. It can be challenging to even acknowledge its existence. Regardless of your reasonings, mental health is real, and it is so important to address these entirely valid and understandable feelings. Some people may not know how to tame these indescribable feelings, but there are healthy coping mechanisms in place to alleviate these emotions. One of those methods being journaling.
Before we continue, I want you to know that this is a secondary resource to counseling and professional help for mental health disorders. Please know that there are resources and help available!
Everyone wrote in a diary as a kid. We wrote about our day, our crushes, our thoughts, our feelings, and anything else we could think of. I remember being in the car on road trips, writing down what I felt, what I saw, and what people around me were saying. I took comfort in that, and I still do. As we change and evolve, our problems grow with us. Our journals should too. Our grown-up problems involve finances, stress, mental health, relationship troubles…our childhood journal entries are nothing in comparison. However, the nostalgia of childhood journaling acts as almost a safety blanket for these adult obstacles. Putting your thoughts to paper allows you to empty your brain. Of course, it does not eliminate your worries and concerns, but it’s a start. So, I encourage you to try it. Ease your brain whilst connecting with your inner child. Write how people make you feel, just get it all out.