Journaling
I have heard many people say that journaling in one form or another is a great mental health practice. Personally, I have found this to be so.
A few times in my life I dipped my toes into the art of writing. I would scribble stories on pieces of paper when I was young, creating a myriad of short stories. After I had been a Correctional Officer for a few years I started seeing a counselor who suggested I start writing out what made me angry, then ripping up the piece of paper and throwing it away in a symbolic act of letting go. This proved to be the right suggestion at the wrong time. At that point in my life stressors seemed to be hitting from all sides, I was overwhelmed, and I saw little value in the suggestion because it was not alleviating my anger and anxiety. So, I had found a good practice that I thought was ineffective. However, the writing bug had bitten.
I started writing on blogs and composing essays in fits and starts. The subject matter revolved around my interests in the martial arts and Freemasonry. I discovered a liking for researching a subject and composing an article detailing my findings and opinions. After my blogging experimentations had come and gone I got the writing itch again, this time I got in with a by email fiction writing group. I enjoyed it and I worked hard to produce well written submissions. However, this group began to create more stressors in my life and seeing as how I had enough stress to deal with I backed away from the group.
Not long after my journey of recovery began I got the itch to start writing again, so I decided to give journaling a try. I had adopted the practice of writing monthly reflections to log my journey, so I extended that into writing every day. I decided to revive the one counselor's suggestion of writing out my frustrations, this time I found it effective. As I consider why it was effective this time, I can only assume it had to do with the fact that I was not working and was not being bombarded with the many stressors associated with a career in a front line service. Eventually I ran out of angry subject matter and began experimenting with different writing exercises.
How journaling helped was by providing two outlets I was craving. Firstly was the interest in writing that was bubbling beneath the surface. It allowed me to express this need for the art of writing, which I have come to enjoy. Secondly was the need for venting the frustrations I was feeling. Early in my service I adopted the attitude of “Grin and Bear It”. This attitude proved to be the wrong stance as I constantly buried my feelings rather than expressing them, resulting in those feelings being vented at inappropriate times and towards individuals who did not deserve my outbursts.
Give journaling a try if you think it will help and if you have any questions please email me.
Take Care
A few times in my life I dipped my toes into the art of writing. I would scribble stories on pieces of paper when I was young, creating a myriad of short stories. After I had been a Correctional Officer for a few years I started seeing a counselor who suggested I start writing out what made me angry, then ripping up the piece of paper and throwing it away in a symbolic act of letting go. This proved to be the right suggestion at the wrong time. At that point in my life stressors seemed to be hitting from all sides, I was overwhelmed, and I saw little value in the suggestion because it was not alleviating my anger and anxiety. So, I had found a good practice that I thought was ineffective. However, the writing bug had bitten.
I started writing on blogs and composing essays in fits and starts. The subject matter revolved around my interests in the martial arts and Freemasonry. I discovered a liking for researching a subject and composing an article detailing my findings and opinions. After my blogging experimentations had come and gone I got the writing itch again, this time I got in with a by email fiction writing group. I enjoyed it and I worked hard to produce well written submissions. However, this group began to create more stressors in my life and seeing as how I had enough stress to deal with I backed away from the group.
Not long after my journey of recovery began I got the itch to start writing again, so I decided to give journaling a try. I had adopted the practice of writing monthly reflections to log my journey, so I extended that into writing every day. I decided to revive the one counselor's suggestion of writing out my frustrations, this time I found it effective. As I consider why it was effective this time, I can only assume it had to do with the fact that I was not working and was not being bombarded with the many stressors associated with a career in a front line service. Eventually I ran out of angry subject matter and began experimenting with different writing exercises.
How journaling helped was by providing two outlets I was craving. Firstly was the interest in writing that was bubbling beneath the surface. It allowed me to express this need for the art of writing, which I have come to enjoy. Secondly was the need for venting the frustrations I was feeling. Early in my service I adopted the attitude of “Grin and Bear It”. This attitude proved to be the wrong stance as I constantly buried my feelings rather than expressing them, resulting in those feelings being vented at inappropriate times and towards individuals who did not deserve my outbursts.
Give journaling a try if you think it will help and if you have any questions please email me.
Take Care
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