Writing Wednesday: Journaling

 

Mental health has been on my mind a lot these past few days. May is National Mental Health Awareness Month, and the resources couldn't come at a better time. As the country opens up more after the Covid-19 pandemic, we see how much it has affected our friends and family to be isolated or reliant on social media and technology to stay connected.

It's hard to ask for help, especially when you are stubborn enough to think that you can still do everything on your own. There is also a need to be completely open with yourself to reflect on what has happened, how you have reacted, and how those actions have affected the outcome. Our memory is not enough.

Facebook Memories recently showed me a quote that I posted on my personal page. 

"It's the good girls who keep the diaries; the bad girls never have the time." - Tallulah Bankhead

I wrote a lot when I was a younger girl. Maybe I was a good girl. I wrote notes and kept notebooks of things that happened in my life. Maybe it was for historical purposes, but I kept track of what I was doing and how I was feeling. Of course I wasn't a total angel. I mean, I had to write something that was interesting or my alibi!

And what about the bad girls? Were they bad because they could not communicate their most intimate thoughts through writing? There are other outlets for self-expression, but writing can tell a story in a narrative way that all good storytelling share. Journaling is recommended to promote mindfulness and perspective. It can track behaviors and triggers, like those that define a "bad girl". These days I find it challenging to vent to a friend like I used to because they have their own issues they are dealing with. My boss is less likely to ease up pressure at work because they too are struggling with the work load. Journaling is my Writing Wednesday exercise, not just for writing prompts and story elements, but for mental health benefits.

Writing Exercise:

It's time to bring out the journal again. How you do it is up to your own style. There are plenty of notebooks at your fingertips from traditional school supplies to beautifully bounded notebooks. Most are blank but some have prompts and ideas to springboard where your expression can fly. 

Not enough time to journal? Pish posh! Do you type better than you write? Consider typing in a document and save your entries. You can write paragraphs for 30 minutes or purge words and phrases in less than five. Your conversation to your paper or doc can benefit your mental health today and every day. Give it a go and whatever level you are comfortable. If you feel like you have been a bad person lately, maybe it's time to let go of those behaviors and discover yourself again through journaling.