How to journal

Sep 12, 2016, 12:30 AM

How many of you actively journal to keep track of your moods and behaviors?

If you do journal, what do you put in your journals, and how often do you journal?

How do you motivate yourself to journal everyday?

I suck at journaling, so I was looking for some advice. I mean, I understand the importance of rating your mood everyday, but rating my mood is as far as I've ever gotten, nothing else. So of course I didn't find that approach super helpful in the long run since I wasn't able to figure out my triggers. I should have at least recorded my sleep too.

Now obviously journaling techniques are unique to every person, but I'm curious how everyone else journals. I'm also super curious how you motivate yourselves since motivation is my biggest struggle.

Sep 12, 2016, 04:21 AM

when i started journaling 6 years ago, i'd write in it every day (sometimes more than once)

then it got to the stage where i was writing the same stuff over and over- today i'm feeling really bad, next day.. today i'm feeling worse, and i quite writing in it for... what, maybe a year?

what motivated me to restart was, well, i missed the support... maybe that's a stupid thing to say because journals can't actually talk or offer advice, but like some people have close friends or family they can talk to about these things, i don't. so i needed to restart my journal (i talk to my journal like it's a therapist or someone like that). it seems pretty strange reading it here, but when someone reads my journal it makes more sense

i'm down to writing in it about 3 or 4 times a week now

i usually comment on the weather,

my current mood,

the current time,

any triggers i'm aware of that have hit me since my last entry

then just write about my day and my feelings.

sometimes write what music i'm listening to as well

Alkaline_ · Sep 12, 2016, 08:12 AM

In group, we had to write down our current feelings and how our days went, what our mood was like and triggered by--whether it be deemed good or bad. Basically what Shattered wrote pretty much.

I Googled some writing prompts for mental health and self reflection. This caught my attention, just because it's on the more crafty side of things.

Don't get caught up in trying to make everything in your journal perfect. Just let the words come and flow. You'll get the hang of it.

Gs550 · Sep 12, 2016, 08:19 AM

If motivation is a problem, I'd say set aside a brief period of time (10 minutes?) and set a timer if you want. It might make it seem like less of a chore.

I journal every day. Sometimes twice (or more) a day. There have been times when it was strictly mood/sleep/weather type stuff. Other times I'll get more in depth with what's bothering me, or maybe make a list of positive things I've done that week, or just more detail about my life. Lately, I've expanded to writing about specific traumatic events. These days I probably write 6-8 pages.

For me, I find that getting my thoughts on paper in and of itself can make me feel better. If it doesn't, at least I know that keeping track of moods, symptoms, triggers will help me in the future.

Try a week or two of 10 minutes a day (I find first thing in the morning, with my coffee, or at night before bed are the best times) and see if it helps.

Sep 12, 2016, 08:38 AM

Whatever you do try to avoid rumination. It is a slippery slope and will only contribute to Depression.

I added a lot of things to my journal including pasting in artwork.

Coffeee · Sep 14, 2016, 02:54 PM

I journal about every other day or so, daily if I get into it. I find making it part of your routine helps, like for me it's in the afternoon. But I think you said you don't like routine blue? Anyhow I write always about my mood and what I did that day. I don't really read it again.

st0psign · Sep 14, 2016, 04:36 PM

yeah the last time I started writing down what was in my head I kinda scared myself when I read it a few months after I came down from the high. I had no idea I was that far gone. I don't write much anymore.