The creative practice that keeps me sane when the world's gone insane
*which is to say, it's a daily practice.
When the clock turned over into the new millennium, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief that there wasn’t a major computer crash (aka Y2K), and the world didn’t end (as some doomsayers were predicting).
Meanwhile, in my little world, things seemed to be looking up. I finally landed a job that paid an actual living wage, and my husband and I had just purchased a new house.
And then, in rapid succession, life turned upside down.
In January, my paternal grandmother died.
In February, my maternal grandfather died.
And in March? Our home burned down.
Needless to say, it was a rough start to a much-anticipated, shiny new century.
Up until then, I’d journaled intermittently. When sad or distressed, I often turned to notebooks to hash out my feelings in angsty poetry and rambling word sprints.
But when my husband and I were displaced from our home for four months due to an electrical fire, I turned to journaling in earnest.
While I certainly grieved the death of my grandparents—and still do—the loss of our home was a different kind of grief.
It was a confusing and stressful situation to navigate—and one that few people seemed to relate to.
We counted our blessings that all we’d lost was stuff. And we pulled our hair out trying to inventory all that stuff.
It’s unsettling not being in your own home, relying temporarily on the grace, generosity and hospitality of friends. We were left with nothing but the clothes on our backs, the singed smell of plastic hanging in our noses, and a traumatized dog who’d escaped the flames by the skin of her teeth.
Filling notebook after notebook, I worked through the grief and loss while trying to keep front and center the gratitude I felt for the goodness and kindness of others.
Since then, journaling has carried me through many milestones, daily annoyances, devastating pregnancy loss, relationship and child-rearing issues, exciting accomplishments and answered prayers.
What can journaling do for you?
I journal for many reasons (which I list at the end of this piece) but mostly because it feels good. And the research agrees.
Journaling is a supportive tool in your mental health toolbox. By providing an outlet for introspection and reflection, we can identify negative thought patterns and work through problems.
Much like meditation, journaling can help us manage anxiety and depression and reduce stress.
“Journaling helps control your symptoms and improve your mood by helping you prioritize problems, fears and concerns,” tracking symptoms and recognizing triggers, identifying coping mechanisms, and providing “an opportunity for positive self-talk….” ~ Journaling for Emotional Wellness, University of Rochester Medical Center.
Journaling also helps with sleep, creative problem-solving, self-confidence and communication skills.
How to start a journaling practice.
What do you need? All you need is a notebook and a pen.
If you’re just starting out, you may want to avoid a fancy notebook. There’s something about a beautiful journal that can spark hesitation, causing us to be more precious with our words. We don’t want to mess it up.
I particularly love moleskin journals and the little journals you can find in the bargain bin at the craft store and Target.
And the right pen is essential! Write with a pen that glides across the page.
Does writing with a pen make you nervous? One woman I know started her journaling practice with a pencil. Through gentle, scratching whispers on the page, she grew more confident over time and eventually switched to pen.
Long-hand or typing? Long-hand writing is ideal because it engages the creative part of your brain and forces you to slow down and write in a more mindful way. It’s also ideal if you’re someone who likes to draw or doodle while writing.
But long-hand writing isn’t for everyone. Some people feel unsafe writing in a journal that someone else might discover and read.
For others, it may not be an accessible option due to a disability.
If this is the case for you, try voice recording or typing notes on your phone in a secure app.
There’s also 750words.com which requires a secure log-in. I tried the free 30-day trial and found it to be a fun option. It even gives you a dopamine hit every time you hit your word count and measures how long it takes you to write.
Of course, writing on a computer carries some risks too. It’s easier to get distracted by news notifications, the siren song of social media, or that book you suddenly remembered you wanted to buy.
If you choose to do your journaling on your laptop, create some guidelines for yourself and stick to them to honor your practice.
When to write? Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, insists that three pages of longhand “Morning Pages” is the gold standard.
In truth, it can be helpful to write when the promise of the day is ahead of you. You have an opportunity to shape your attitude and set your intentions. Whereas at the end of the day, you’re left sifting through the pieces.
But when my children were young, the end of the day was the only time I could journal so that’s when I did it. If you have to be at an early morning job, evening pages might be more practical as well.
Bottom line: Do what works for you.
Make it something you look forward to. These days, my journaling ritual is to roll out of bed, warm coffee mug in hand, and hide away in a cozy chair in my writing studio. It’s become a satisfying little self-care ritual before my day takes off. What could you do to make journaling a practice you look forward to? (Journal about it!)
What to write? Don’t overthink it. Just begin. Stream-of-conscious writing works well, which is just writing whatever pops into your head.
If all you can think to write about is the weather or making to-do lists, give yourself a prompt to work with by asking yourself a question or exploring a possibility or thought. For example:
What do I need in this moment?
What is my intention for today?
How am I feeling?
What would be fun today?
How can I better care for myself today?
I loved/hated [book/movie/article/opinion/song/influencer] because….
Why journal?
Journal to….
Clear your head
Try to make sense out of something happening in the world/community
Try to make sense out of something happening in your life
Process stress
Process an intense conversation
Reflect
Dream
Remember
Record-keep
Make sense of a confrontation
Work through difficult relationship issues
Write stories
Write letters you’ll never send
Reimagine life
Hash out or brainstorm new ideas
Plan/strategize
Relive memorable experiences
Complain
Whine
Rage
Explore solutions
Make decisions
Pray
Reconnect with a higher power
Christa, this is a great reminder... thanks for the gentle nudge. It's time to crack open a new journal, and get some of my thoughts out of my mind and on to paper.
I used to journal a lot, but I've fallen out of the habit. Maybe it's time or sometimes my journaling looks like other practices or other stream-of-consciousness writing that I do on my computer, not in my journal. Or maybe things are feeling pretty good most of the time. I have always journaled more when things were hard in my life.