With the time of seasonal depression quickly approaching, or already here for some. I thought I'd share some of the journal activities that I use to manage stress. Journaling is often recommended to those who are struggling with their mental health yet it can be difficult to start and even harder yet to find practices that work for you. I have been journaling since I was in my mid teens and have tried out countless methods. Here are my favorite journal activities for your inspiration.
Mind Dumping
By far the easiest journaling tactic is mind dumping. All you do is write out everything you're feeling. Don't worry about solutions or spelling, all this is meant to be is a written rant. I almost never read back these pages because when they're being written I'm full of irrational emotions that I let loose on the page. This page idea is best for those in the midst of strong emotions, since you're alone for this process it's often easier to feel those emotions that demand to be felt before deciding how to move forward with your life.
Mind Mapping
Most people know about mind mapping from school brainstorms, yet with a slight spin on the classic this journal activity is one of my favorites for organizing my thoughts and stress. To start this activity I will usually write "My Life" or "My Stress" on the center of the page, then I begin listing all the things in my life that relate to the topic around the title. Once I feel I've listed all the related things and begin to calm down I will begin connecting the ideas. Usually I start the connections with "In My Control" and "Out of My Control". From there you can begin to group your stresses in other ways to help identify where the majority of your stress comes from or what problems have the same solution. By mind mapping I'm able to form my 'to do lists' and set boundaries much more effectively.
4 Day Discovery
Often when I'm struggling with a bigger life question I'll do what I like to call the 4 Day Discovery Challenge. All you need to do is set a timer for 10-15 minutes and write whatever comes to mind about the topic you're struggling with. My most recent topic was success. For a while I had been wrestling with the idea of if I was successful, or what success even was to me. Over the spend of 4 days I was able to define my personal idea on success and discover that yes in my own way I was successful especially for where I was at in life. I like to keep the topic of this journal session quite broad so that you can explore the idea to its fullest and so I have enough to write about. I say this is the 4 day discovery challenge but write for as few or as many as days you need. Its purpose is only to get you writing and thinking about the big ideas in life that can often keep you up at night.
Lies Into Truth
This journal activity was mentioned in my (Self) Love Languages post. All you need to do is identify some lies you believe about yourself. They often disguise themselves as insecurities and then you identify an affirmation that directly combats the lie. One common example of a lie is "I am annoying my friends and that's why they don't talk to me." An affirmation to combat this may be "I am a loving person who cares for those around me. My friends know who I am and appreciate it; they have their own lives and I accept that."
Boundaries In Action
My boundaries in action journal page is great for those with people pleasing tendencies or those who struggle to maintain their boundaries. Letting others overstep your boundaries is a form of self betrayal. When I'm struggling to maintain my boundaries with others or when I'm creating new boundaries after I've been hurt I'll often turn to my boundaries in action page. To start all you need is a few boundaries you're wanting to focus on maintaining, then next to them write some practical ways you can uphold those boundaries in your life. For example, you might write "I need a healthy work life balance" and next to it you could write "I will not take on any extra work that I can't immediately complete". As these boundaries become habits feel free to update the list with harder challenges/actions or add more boundaries to the list!
Disclaimer
These are some of my personal journal prompts that I use to help maintain my mental health. I am not a healthcare professional. If you are struggling please reach out to a mental health professional.
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