How to journal to help your health and wellness

Journaling is so helpful that I made up a tag line: journal it to learn it!

Writing in a journal can help you process events and feelings, set goals and make plans, and it's really great at helping you remember things:

The relative slowness of the medium forces you to process the information, writing key words or phrases and using drawing or arrows to work through ideas, she says. "You make the information your own," she says, which helps it stick in the brain.

--Audrey van der Meer, psychologist and study co-author at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

There are so many different ways to journal, way beyond a "Dear Diary" record of day after day. Explore the links below, play around with journal prompts that are of interest, change it up whenever you need to, and remember: one of the greatest benefits of journaling is you have a great excuse to go buy a journal!!

• Some basic journaling prompts, good for trying out journaling for the first time:

Classics:

✔️ a few things you were grateful for today, from the tiny to the sublime

✔️ what you appreciated about yourself, what you accomplished, what you're looking to tomorrow

✔️ 550+ Journal Prompts: The Ultimate List from Day One

✔️ Ready, Set, Journal! 64 Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery from PsychCentral

• A wider range of topics including, under "Lighthearted moments and creative boosts:" Draw or describe your dream ice cream sundae. -- wouldn't that be a nice way to lose yourself for 15 minutes?

  ✔️ 365 Daily Journal Prompts for Mental Health and Happiness from A Little Dose of Happy
  

• This PositivePsychology website has a ton of great resources and ideas, including this list of deeply introspective prompts: ✔️ 30 Best Journaling Prompts for Improving Mental Health
  

• These are from an end-of-every-day meditation ritual from Day Schildkret's beautiful and wise book Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration and Change:

  • Today I gave myself to ___________

  • Today I was given _______________

  • Today I succeeded at ____________

  • Today I learned _________________

  • Today I trusted _________________

  • Today I doubted ________________

  • Tonight I am thankful for _________

  • Tonight I don't need to carry ______

  • Tonight I wish that _______________

  • Tonight I don't take for granted ____

• Use an oracle deck for a prompt:

  ✔️ Draw a tarot card for the day to journal a reflection on. I am absolutely in love with Arin Murphy-Hiscock's Green Witch's Oracle Deck

  

  
  

• Combine a mindful check-in with a piece of art:

  ✔️ Check out the Museum of Fine Arts's Facebook page for a daily work of art

  ✔️ Download the Daily Art app and ask yourself, How does this make me feel? What does it make me think? What are my five senses telling me?

• You can use words to journal about art, and you can use art to journal about things: ✔️ This is a lovely how-to and why-to piece in the Times about drawing your life

  "Drawing itself is a moment — time spent with the object you’ve chosen, and a chance to consider its story. You can spend time with your objects in different ways by drawing them carefully or mindlessly, with a pencil, pen or in watercolor."

• Use nature as a prompt: ✔️ Micah Mortali's green-gazing meditation offers lovely ways to consider what is out your window -- How many different colors or shapes do I see?, What is the light doing?

• And guess what? ✔️✔️ Your therapist would love it if you journaled about what you're working on this week!! Self-affirmations? Well-wishing meditation? Anxiety reality-check questions? How to stop worrying reframing? Write it out!...