The power of writing and journaling

Tuesday 10th June is Ballpoint Pen day, and although intended as a fun celebration of the invention of the everyday writing implement back in 1943, it got me thinking about writing in general.

Writing for me is a comfort, and has always been a part of my life. From keeping a diary as a child, to the joy of receiving letters from my pen pals throughout school and keeping in touch with friends and family throughout my adult life. I appreciate that technology has moved on, and in many ways it is easier to keep in touch, but for me, you still can’t beat a letter or a few sentences written in a birthday card.

I also appreciate that writing isn’t everyone’s idea of a fun thing to do – perhaps it feels too much like school or the words/ideas don’t flow as easily from the brain to the hand. Dyslexia and other processing difficulties also play a big part in the ability to put thoughts onto paper, and this is where technology can be a big help to make journaling more accessible and inclusive. There are many Journaling apps available and you can even record your own thoughts as a voice message and store them securely.

My own therapeutic experience of journaling came in my adult life when I was going through a challenging time, with lots of thoughts, worries and complicated emotions that I was struggling to deal with. I had high levels of anxiety which was affecting my sleep, my self-esteem and making it difficult to focus on my goals and make the right decisions. A close friend bought be a beautiful diary, something I enjoyed the look and the feel of, and it was the perfect gift. I soon realised the benefits of writing about my thoughts and feelings at the end of each day, before bed, exploring the mixture of emotions I had been feeling, asking myself questions about what I was doing, where I was going and what did I want in life. I soon noticed an improvement in my sleep, I would close the diary and feel suddenly very tired, having let go of all those thoughts.

I would write down hopes and wishes for the future, positive statements to boost my confidence and help me to reflect on what I had been able to achieve – when I felt down and lost, I could go back and look at these, remember what I was searching for and why.

Journaling was not the only thing that got me through a difficult time, it was a part of the whole and together with counselling, the support of my close friends, self-care and making positive changes in my life things started to get better. Also one of the major benefits was that it was always available – I didn’t need anyone else, whenever I felt down or lonely, I could spend some time writing.

If this has got you thinking about the power of journaling, there are loads of resources online for supporting you to get started if you are feeling you need a bit of extra help or guidance.

As part of my work as a therapist, I offer counselling by post – a mode of therapy where clients write and receive letters as an alternative to face-to-face, online or telephone counselling. It offers an opportunity to take more time to reflect and explore, sharing this with another in a safe and confidential way, and receiving letters in return which can be explored at your own pace, taking the time to reflect and return to key points. It offers the flexibility of time, allows a physical record of shared thoughts and reflections as well as the benefit of distance from difficult emotions – sometimes writing to another is more possible than speaking the words aloud. If this is something you would like to find out more about, you can visit the Towards Tranquility website.

Youth Trauma Allies offers training, signposting and resources to schools and parents, as well as reflective practice spaces for school staff, families, community groups to strengthen their well-being. We are informed by the young people we want to support, and want to break down the barriers that are in place to stop our young people being part of their local community and feeling valued.

If you want to find out more about how we can help you create mentally healthy and supportive communities around our young people, don’t hesitate to get in touch.