My Blog

 

What is journaling?  Journaling, according to Susan Borkin, author of The Healing Power of Writing: A Therapist’s Guide to Using Journaling with Clients, is any type of writing or related expressive process used for the purposes of psychological healing or growth.

Remember when you were a young girl, you may have had a diary.   Your “dear diary” captured events and emotions in your life.  Now, as an adult, things happen, circumstances change, and those things are either good, bad, or ugly. Journaling your experience can actually be liberating.  How do you feel, what are you going through, and how are you dealing with these issues?  How have your relationships changed?  Who are your friends, I mean, really friends?  How has your perspective on life changed? What is now important to you?  What are you grateful for?

So, how do you journal?  It can be any way you want.  There are NO rules.  Just let it flow.  Are you a sketcher?  Include drawings in your entry.  The idea is to express your emotions.  It’s amazing how one can gain perspective on life when writing and to look back on your entries, how far you’ve come in life!

I would also say don’t worry about the quality of your writing.  This is for you and you alone, unless you choose to share with others.

I would also encourage you to write about the full range of your emotions, and not just negative.  The more positive your thoughts, the better you will feel overall.  It is well known that our thoughts can control our actions.

As some of you know, I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the beginning of this year.  I began to journal.  As part of my healing I decided to write a book with helpful references for those going through the same thing, but the main element of the book are journal pages.  I have included diet and exercise regimen entries as well for those who have the desire to start anew and really concentrate on improving their health.

The book, “A New Day and a New Normal” can be purchased through www.iUniverse.com or through www.Amazon.com. It would be a very thoughtful gift for anyone with this diagnosis.

As always, I wish you the best.

Until next time,

Stay well; stay healthy; stay focused.