I’ve been wanting to write a post on how to journal for mental health for what feels like ages!
And I think the reason I’ve been procrastinating is because this is a post that’s very near and dear to my heart for many reasons.
Journaling has been an instrumental part of my personal mental health journey, but only once I figured out how to do it in a way that brought me results.
Honestly, I would say it’s been life changing.
So no pressure, right? Haha!
But regardless of that, I know all the way down in the depths of my soul, that these lessons I’ve learned are too important not to share!
So I’m going to tell you about all the tips and tactics I learned about how to journal for mental health along the way, in the hopes that maybe you can get as much out of it as I have!
I’ve also created these FREE printable journal pages for you to download that include a unique “reflect” box that allows you to go back and reflect on previous journal entries to easily see progress, patterns, and other helpful insights!
Figure yourself out
And no I don’t mean this in a grand “what’s my purpose” type of way, so let’s take that pressure off right now, haha!
But what I do mean is figure out how you process things.
Let me tell you, I’ll never forget the day my best friend explained to me that she usually needed to talk her problems out with another person before she can find a solution because she’s an “external processor”.
It was like a light bulb clicked on in my head.
That explained so much because I am exactly the same way!
And how had I gone twenty-something years of my life without realizing that?!
Now to give you a better idea of which one you might be, here are a few thoughts on internal VS. external processors:
External processors talk to think.
When they try to organize their thoughts in their minds, it usually feels like a mess.
Talking things out with other people or themselves is how they get clarity.
They often don’t know how they feel about something until they say it.
Internal processors tend to process everything inside their own head.
They usually don’t share how they feel about something with others until they’ve had enough time to think about it on their own.
They’re more likely to turn inward to get clarity on important issues or complicated emotions.
Journal for your processing style
So why does all this matter?
Because although journaling can actually be very helpful for both internal and external processors, the way it works for you may vary depending on which you are.
As an external processors, I usually find that journaling is just the first step for me.
Some issues may be so complicated or sensitive that they can be difficult to bring up in conversation, even with a trusted confidant.
But since conversation is the best way for me to process, I use journaling as a conversation with myself.
I ask questions, give answers.
Often journaling alone won’t resolve or clarify the issue entirely for me, but it allows me to get comfortable with talking about it.
To figure out what I’m feeling well enough that I can know how to bring it up in conversation, and fully process it the way that I need to.
For the people I know that are internal processors, they often tell me that journaling itself is enough to bring clarity to important issues.
For them it’s more like a way to organize and put in order their thoughts when something is particularly complicated.
Once they’ve done that, things will usually become clear.
Stop judging yourself
Before you ever put pen to paper (or fingers to keys) you have to get comfortable with one thing.
Your journal has to be a judgment free zone.
Don’t ask yourself what other people would think if they could read it.
Journaling is a way to process and figure out what you’re feeling, so just because you wrote something in the heat of the moment doesn’t mean those words define who you are.
Don’t groan when you look back at an entry from last month when you were wrapped up in something that seems unimportant now.
It mattered in the moment. And if it doesn’t now? Great, that probably just means that you’ve gained new perspective since then. Celebrate your growth as a person, don’t shame yourself for who or where you were then.
Don’t call yourself silly.
You aren’t, plain and simple.
And don’t think for a second that your problems or your pain don’t matter just because someone else has it “worse”.
Pain is relative. What you feel matters.
And if you find you really can’t make yourself stop judging, make a rule to not read past entries, at least for a set amount of time.
Eventually I think it can be immensely important to look back on what you’ve written in the past, but if you’re struggling too much with self judgment, then wait at least a few weeks or months before letting yourself read past entries.
Give yourself enough time
Now I’m not saying that you shouldn’t journal if you only have a few minutes a day.
By all means, write whenever you can.
But I’ve found that the best self-discovery often happens when I’ve been writing for awhile.
At a certain point, the words begin to flow easier, and there’s less filtering going on between what’s in your head and what’s being written by your hands.
A good rule is to give yourself at least 30 minutes uninterrupted.
But you can adjust this to fit your life and your preference as needed!
Stay consistent
You don’t have to write every single day, but the more often you write, the more effective it will be.
You want to turn it into a habit.
That way, when you’re feeling stressed or anxious, writing will be one of the first things you reach for.
Once you learn how to journal for mental health, it can become a fundamental tool in your toolbox for managing all kinds of things, from stress to anxiety and depression.
Get creative
If your run of the mill average journal doesn’t excite you…why not mix things up a bit?
Art journals (or junk journals as they’re sometimes called) are everywhere right now!
And honestly they really are an amazing way to add an extra layer of creativity to your journaling!
Another alternative to a typical journal would be to try some writing prompts
(a quick search online and you can find plenty of them to keep you busy!)
One of my personal favorites journaling alternatives, and something I do along with keeping a regular journal, is to use a process called “mind mapping”
With a mind map you write down one central theme or idea to be your starting point
(it could be anything at all, from “anxiety” to “what makes me happy” to whatever else you can imagine!)
then begin to expand on that by thinking of related ideas and seeing how they connect to your original theme as well as to each other.
And if you need a visual representation to see it might look, Wikipedia has some great examples on their article about Mind maps!
Mine are always a bit messier than most mind maps I’ve seen, but that’s the great thing about it!
When it comes to this kind of thing, there really is no right or wrong way to do it!
Reflect
As I mentioned before, I know it can be really tough to want to reread what you’ve written, especially if it was during a difficult time in your life.
But in my personal experience, rereading what I’ve written in the past can be one of the most helpful parts of journaling for mental health.
What better way is there to learn to understand yourself better?
To see your patterns and triggers?
Or what truly makes you happy in life?
It’s also immensely important as a way to recognize your progress.
Sometimes we get so bogged down by all the ways we feel we are failing that we can’t see all the ways we may be improving.
I can’t tell you how many times I would lament my current level of anxiety, feeling like all the progress I had been making was lost, only to go back and realize that I was still doing so much better than I had been a year, or even just a few months before.
We all need to feel like we are moving forward in our lives, because growing and improving as a person in such an important part of living a life that’s truly fulfilling!
Journaling can be a really amazing way to keep track of that progress!
And because I feel so strongly that reflecting on past journal entries is an essential part to journaling for mental health, I created these unique (and free!) journal pages that include a special “reflect” box exactly for that!
Just leave the reflect box blank when you initially use the pages for journaling, then after a certain amount of time (this could be a week, a month, a year, whatever makes sense for you!) go back and read your journal entry again.
Use the reflect box to add a note on any insights you’ve gained from rereading what you wrote.
Possible ideas could be progress you’ve made, unhealthy patterns, anxiety triggers, what makes you happy…etc.
If you haven’t already you can grab your FREE printable reflect journal pages using the form below!
And maybe the most important rule when it comes to journaling for mental health is to do whatever works best for you! There is no one size fits all.
But I hope these ideas helped inspire you to try starting your own journaling practice!
Looking for more helpful advice on mental health?
Check out these posts:
- 11 Self Care Ideas for Anxiety
- DIY Self Care Ideas Jar
- How to Clean Your House When You’re Depressed
- Dollar Store DIY – Daily Affirmations Jar (Plus FREE Printable Labels!)
How do you journal for mental health? Help inspire others by sharing your own tips and ideas in the comments section below!
2 thoughts on “How to Journal for Mental Health”
Love, Love, Love this! Your articles are fantastic. Thanks Jessie.
Aww thank you so much Beth! I’m so glad you found it helpful <3