It’s too easy for us to keep our concerns and fears to ourselves. Rather than talking to someone about our problems – whether it is out of embarrassment or fear of rejection – we often sit with our thoughts until it paralyzes us. Until the feelings follow us, day after day, leaving us incapable of functioning as our best selves. This is where journaling comes in.
When writing about what’s causing you anxiety, you give space between yourself and your anxious thoughts. It feels like you’re writing about someone else’s problems instead of your own – as if you’re peering into someone else’s thoughts. Journaling allows you to detach yourself from the situation and objectively understand what’s happening, rather than allowing your mind to blow things out of proportion.
In a way, writing your thoughts out also helps you move on with your day. Your anxiety is safely secured in a place so that when you’re done writing, you can spend your mental energy relaxing. When you’re ready, you can come back to your entry and continue with how you’re feeling or if the situation has changed.
It might feel awkward at first if you’ve never talked about or written out how you feel before. You might feel afraid of writing badly about someone that you care about whose been causing you to feel anxious. But remember this:
A journal is meant to be a space for you to be honest with yourself.
It’s your journal. Whatever you write down is meant for your eyes only, so don’t be afraid to write exactly what you mean. It’s only after you are honest with your feelings and the situation at hand that you can begin to move forward.
Being honest in your journal can be hard if you’ve spent a good chunk of your life being told to just “deal with it” or “grow up”. At some point, it might feel like you’re being weak when you show these emotions to someone, even if that someone is yourself. But no matter how you are feeling, understand that you are completely valid in how you feel. Once you are able to be vulnerable and honest with yourself, you can begin to address the problem at hand. Otherwise, if you continue to suppress your feelings, you’ll likely end up solving the wrong problem.
Writing out your anxiety often makes it feel more real, which is good! Realizing how you’re feeling and recognizing it for what it is gives you a chance to face reality instead of telling yourself –
Put It Into Action
When you’re feeling anxious about something, no matter how small it might be, try this out.
Take out a pen and a piece of paper or open up the notes section on any of your devices. Start with writing out how you’re feeling and what’s causing it. It can begin with something I’ve written in the past (transcribed below) or something entirely different.
Tuesday, November 22, 2022 – No. 642 Just a little recap on Thursday b/c it was rough for me and I couldn’t journal about it then.
If you can’t write about what’s happening yet, write about how your day has been going, or about something or someone that’s important to you. Giving some distance between you and your situation can momentarily distract yourself until you’re ready to come back and handle the situation.
If you’re feeling fancy, grab a “Wreck This Journal” from a department store, or anything of its kind. Some people like to absolutely destroy their journals, which helps them release their anxiety. This may be particularly helpful for those feeling anxious about something out of their control.
That’s it. Your journal entry can be as long or as short as you need it to be. Rant for as long as you want. In your journal, there are no rules for what you can and can’t do.
Happy journaling!