The act of journaling has many known benefits for cognition and overall mental health. Journaling helps to reduce stress, set goals, increase overall mood, cope with daily problems, reflect, and increase your memory. While journaling does have these benefits, a lot of times it is hard to know where to start when beginning this process. You may be wondering, what do I write about? While there are no set requirements for journaling because it is an avenue of personal expression and reflection, but seemingly this process can still present as intimidating. 

To begin this process, have fun and get creative with by picking out a journal that you like or by even decorating a blank journal. Next, think about a time of day that you would like to journal that you would have the least likely number of distractions- typically the end of the day is best because it gives you time for reflection. It is important to find a time that works for you to promote routine. 

It is good to remind yourself that journaling becomes easier over time- or T.I.M.E. A simple acronym that can help guide your journal entries. 

T- Think about what happened throughout the course of your day and what it is that you would like to write about from this. What did you do? Who did you see? How did you feel? Was there anything missing from your day? Thinking of these aspects can give you a direction and a sense of idea as to what you would like to think about or focus on.

I- Investigate how you were feeling and what you were thinking throughout the day. Reflect on these moments and allow yourself to just write them out. You can start this process with a simple “I feel…” or “Today…” or “In this moment…” or “When this happened, I felt…” or “I want…”  This portion of journaling can be written in any way you would like, just allow your stream of consciousness to take control. If you find yourself getting stuck, take a moment to breath and reflect on what you have already written. 

M- Mention any challenges you may have experienced through the day or any goals you have developed. Mentioning either of these can help you to be reminded of where you feel challenged and what areas you would like to start to grow on. 

E- Exit with gratitude. At the end of your journal entry, take time to reflect on the positive areas of your day and something that you are grateful for. Exiting a journal entry with a positive note creates a habit of bringing more gratitude into your life, even on days that are seemingly difficult. 

Again, there is no exact science or standard to follow when journaling. This acronym is just a helpful tool to highlight focus points that could be important. Another helpful hint would be to look up journal prompts to find ideas if you are getting stuck. Remember, journaling is for your own growth and reflection. It is important to allow yourself to let go of any judgments you may have of your emotions and actions. This process is for you to be honest with yourself to help you to learn and grow. 

Need some more ideas around journaling? Or other positive coping skills? Click here.