Although I’ve journaled most of my life, the kind of journaling I find most helpful has shifted over the years. When I was younger, my journaling was mostly about what happened and what I did that day. In my early twenties, facing much deeper life challenges than playground tiffs and homework, I discovered the art of therapeutic journaling.
Therapeutic journaling goes deeper than talking about bare facts and events; it’s about writing with the intention to process and heal.
This kind of journaling entered my life at a time when I was struggling with family issues, problems in relationships, a lack of clarity around where my life was heading (and whether it was even worth living), and a vocal inner critic that seemed determined to keep me feeling small and unworthy.
Although therapeutic journaling wasn’t the only thing that helped me through this time and the challenging periods I’ve faced since (among other things, talk therapy has also been invaluable), it is something I’ve been able to use to grow beyond these challenges and into a richer and more fully-lived life.
I recently shared some of the ways in which I use therapeutic journaling to grow through life’s challenges in a guest post on Purpose Fairy. These practices have been immensely helpful for me, and I hope they are useful for you too!
If you enjoyed this post and would like more prompts and techniques for your journaling practice, I invite you to check out my books The Ultimate Guide to Journaling and The Year of You: 365 Journal Writing Prompts for Creative Self-Discovery.
Photo by Ana Tavares on Unsplash
