Journaling 101: How To Be Your Own Therapist
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If you follow me on Instagram or watch my YouTube videos, then you know I am an avid journaler. My journal is my little book of truths & ideas and it has become my safe haven.
Journaling does one thing for me: support my mental health. The simple act of picking up a pen and brain-dumping my thoughts solves all my problems and saves me lots of money from going to therapy. I am essentially my own therapist, and you can be yours too.
Now, I am not saying I will never try therapy. I’d love to find a therapist one day that suits my needs, but I also want to be self-sufficient in knowing how to talk to myself and understand the way I think. I personally believe that fully knowing who you are is the greatest power you can possess. you become the person you can rely on to help you get through anything, which is good since you’re with you all of the time.
So how do you become your own therapist?
First things first, you need utensils. All you need is a writing device and paper. Or use your computer if you prefer to journal digitally.
I like using a tangible journal; the process of messily scribbling thoughts down is very therapeutic to me and it’s nice to not stare at a computer screen sometimes.
As for my journal, I use the Leuchtturm 1917 ‘Notebook Classic-Hardcover-A5-Ruled’ (see picture for reference). I find this journal to be a perfect size, and I can easily take it wherever I go – plus they have fun colors, who doesn’t love that?
Next, let’s figure out what to journal and how to journal ‘correctly.’ Technically, there is no right or wrong, but we want to make the most out of it right? We want to fix problems and calm the mind, not create more and increase stress.
Here is a list of journaling approaches that are unproductive and counterintuitive:
1. Ranting on about a negative thought, without resolving it.
– thought dumping can help relieve negativity, but it is pointless if we don’t find the root of the problem and work to resolve it.
2. Complaining and making excuses.
– sure, this could help. But if you’re reading this article, I have a feeling you’re more of a problem solver than a complainer.
– it is okay to ponder upon a problem, BUT please do not ruminate on it. Be productive and strategic. Ask yourself questions and find an answer. Complaining is an unproductive dead end, strategic thinking is the ultimate problem solver.
3. Treating your journal like a daily diary.
– your journal is not your diary. You don’t have to write down every single life event because – what is the point? Your journal is to record growth reflections.
4. Trying too hard.
– have you ever seen those aesthetically pleasing journals and wished yours looked like that? Well, good news, yours don’t.
– personally, I think the more battered up the journal, the more growth witnessed and endured.
– keep it simple, keep it sustainable. Don’t make journaling a chore, make it attractively easy to do (i.e. I just use a black/blue pen and my penmanship could pass as a doctor’s).
5. Judging and being dishonest.
– you cannot be judgmental and dishonest when you journal, these are the fundamental rules of journaling.
– your journal is just for you to read. It is where you go to solve problems, reflect, and strengthen mindsets. You don’t need to hide any part of yourself from yourself.
– A truthful, judgment-free space opens the gate to genuine and deeper connections.
No one is judging you, please just be you. Free yourself from you.
Here is a list of journaling approaches that are useful and effective:
1. Journal like no one is watching (because no one is).
– you know the phrase ‘dance like nobody is watching? Yeah, here at The Power Of Club, we journal like nobody is watching.
2. Journal when: the mind is foggy, feeling uncertain and uncomfortable, stuck in a rut.
– journal whenever you need to talk something out or think something through
– talk/write out your feelings and emotions.
– Thought dumping unclogs your brain and refreshes your mind.
3. Get to the root of things.
– everything is figureoutable (thanks Ali Abdaal for the term)
– how is everything figureoutable? because everything has a connective root.
– find the root of the problem and work from there. You are only as strong as your weakest root so reflect and figure it out.
Growth does not accept excuses, remember that.
Use my words as a guide to support you. Eventually, you’ll find your own groove and motion.
As mentioned before, the key to being an effective journaler is, to be honest, and nonjudgmental. Would you want to see a therapist that judged your every decision and made you feel small? I didn’t think so.
This leads us to our final point.
The best thing you can do for yourself is to be kind and patient. Be your own safe haven and provide yourself with an open space to express and learn.
Journaling is not only for problem-solving and reflecting but also for spreading love and kindness.
At the heart of it, journaling is self-talk.
And as human beings, we want to hear kind words. We want to be a part of a supportive community and in an uplifting environment. We thrive in these conditions, and we can create these conditions right in our journal.
Invest in yourself the way you invest in others. Listen to what you have to say and spend time to know yourself better. Understanding the way you think is the solution to any problem.
