Journaling on pen and paper for mental health reasons...?

[Mayor Monday]

Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate it- comment or not!

I just received a journal for jotting down my thoughts/stuff I don't want to talk about/struggles. This was the main reason it was given to me and I feel it could be helpful. I've never done this before and I'm not sure what it entails. I already did the research- but I'd love to hear people's experiences.

Is there anyone on here who's done this? If you have, is it helpful?

 

[xSuperMario64x]

Personally I have my own journal and I write a lot of stuff in it, not just mental health stuff. I love being able to write down my thoughts and moods in the moment because i can look back at it latet and see how it ended up helping/hindering my progress and I use that to make decisions about how I should mentally tackle future issues of the same nature. Plus when I talk to a therapist/counselor it's helpful to be able to look back on what has been bothering me since my memory is so shotty.

 

[pumpkinpuppy]

Due to the nature of my chronic illness, I don't journal that way because I find it easy to slip into obsessive thoughts and re-read what I've written over again. However, I do have a pen-and-paper diary for scheduling things like appointments, my shifts at work, deadlines etc which helps since it makes me feel more organised than just checking something like my phone.

 

[Soigne]

i've kept a journal in my backpack every day for the past few years. it helps when i'm in a bad mental spot and need to jot some things down. sometimes i journal for pages, sometimes i make a list of things bothering me. whatever the case, it helps me when i look back on things to process what was going on and whatnot. plus, it's fun to see all of the things i have gone through over the days.

 

[Stella-Io]

I used to do this alot as a kid, like late elementary and middle school age. I would write just to vent cause I didn't talk to my friends outside of school, and also cause I never felt close to them. I eventually stopped cause my parents went throu my stuff and read a whole lot of it while I was at school one day.

I found it to be somewhat helpful, sometimes I would read back but as a young kid I didn't know how to properly process my emotions and deal with them in a way that targets the emotion and ways to 'fix' it, I was just angry alot. I've thought about taking it up again so I don't have to publicly post my vents and rants here, but the thought of my parents going throu my stuff is always in the back of my mind, so I never started up a new vent journal. Here it's different, people can relate a little, even if only the feeling of stress or sad or angry. People are really nice here and say 'hope it gets better' or offer advice. Parents don't. They just get mad at what they read :/

 

[Mayor Monday]

I used to do this alot as a kid, like late elementary and middle school age. I would write just to vent cause I didn't talk to my friends outside of school, and also cause I never felt close to them. I eventually stopped cause my parents went throu my stuff and read a whole lot of it while I was at school one day.

I found it to be somewhat helpful, sometimes I would read back but as a young kid I didn't know how to properly process my emotions and deal with them in a way that targets the emotion and ways to 'fix' it, I was just angry alot. I've thought about taking it up again so I don't have to publicly post my vents and rants here, but the thought of my parents going throu my stuff is always in the back of my mind, so I never started up a new vent journal. Here it's different, people can relate a little, even if only the feeling of stress or sad or angry. People are really nice here and say 'hope it gets better' or offer advice. Parents don't. They just get mad at what they read :/

I see. I'm glad it was helpful for you.

I'm sorry to hear about your parents. I can't imagine having parents that don't respect your things/personal difficulties. I'm glad you found a sense of community here, though.

 

[Romaki]

I don't have a journal, but I often write long rants on here that I delete before posting. It's just nice to get your thoughts "down on paper", read back on them and work through them. It helps me with my struggle. But a physical journal is also nice because you don't just have to write in it, you can also doodle or paint your feelings inside it.

 

[michealsmells]

Journaling is really, really good for you. Granted, I always forget to write things down. I have a journal and the last time I wrote in it was early October but that's besides the point.

It grounds you in reality. It puts tangible evidence to things that you did. I, for example, very easily lose track of time and just... forget entire days that have gone by. Even if you're not writing down anything particularly important, like if it's just that you brushed your teeth or what you ate that day, it lets you know that you did something. That's at least how I've learned to use it.

You can use it for other things, such as venting out struggles, scheduling, rambling about this or that. It gives a more tangible experience than typing it.

Its hard to explain but it does help.

 

[Mayor Monday]

Comment removed by user.

 

[HistoryH22]

I don't do it on pen and paper, but I do type my thoughts out on Microsoft Word if Im having a particularly rough mental health day.

 

[isabll]

I think it depends on what you mean by "mental health reasons". It might help people with anxiety or depression because it allows them to express and reorganize their thoughts, but it's not the same for everyone. I've tried journaling and it genuinely made me feel worse than before, so it's extremely subjective and it depends on what kind of struggles you're currently experiencing.

 

[AlyssaAC]

I have a journal, but it's not for mental reasons, more of a journal for writing how my day went. I write about all the things that happen that day and other things like random thoughts. For mental reasons, I would say it does help a lot. When it's something you can't normally say out loud, it helps to write it down. This way you can look back on it and learn from it. I haven't written in awhile though, so after reading this post, I will probably start writing again.

 

[Mayor Monday]

I have a journal, but it's not for mental reasons, more of a journal for writing how my day went. I write about all the things that happen that day and other things like random thoughts. For mental reasons, I would say it does help a lot. When it's something you can't normally say out loud, it helps to write it down. This way you can look back on it and learn from it. I haven't written in awhile though, so after reading this post, I will probably start writing again.

I see- and I'm glad you may start writing again! Especially if it helps you.

 

[lord]

i have journals i just draw and write random **** in it i wouldnt want anyone to find them lol. i recc

 

[Corrie]

I usually type out my thoughts because I can type faster than write by hand. My brain thinks super fast so my hand can't keep up lol.

Anyway, it helps. Sometimes I just write out a little note as if I'm going to send it to someone. I vent and get it all out and then delete. It's very satisfying. It helps keep me from bugging other people with my petty problems.

 

[Midoriya]

No, it doesn’t help me. It just makes me depressed when I do it. I would rather live in the moment and reflect on things later in my mind, where no one can hear it or see it.

 

[SheepMareep]

I used to do this a lot. What I would always do is write down in the front an introduction of myself to my journal and then treat my entries as a conversation to someone in order to vent how I feel. I would also use certain colors for my entries to express my feelings while writing it (blue/purple for sad, pink/orange for happy, so on) so that I would be able to notice if I was in a depressive episode or about it be.

My journals were also helpful for my memory due to PTSD so I liked them a lot for that... When I would remember to write anyway.

 

[hamster]

i used to but i always used to end up just ripping the pages out and starting over because i didnt like how i wrote it over and over again

 

[Dawnpiplup]

I have a journal that I use to jot down the times when I feel depressed, or certain events that may have triggered it. It helps me recall what I felt at the moment whenever I talk about it with my therapist. I also use it to make a note of things that I want to mention in the therapy sessions.

I used to have diaries before, where I would try and make daily day to day entries - but I didn't manage to keep up with it. With this, it's much easier for me.

 

[Azrael]

I really enjoy the bullet journal model. It acts a both a notebook and a journal. It helps me keep track of important things and also helps me record my emotions or events for the day. What nice about the format is it can be used for so many things than just a normal planner or journal! I recommend you check it out. Just google “bullet journal”.