Writing to ease stress through journaling

From westleedsdispatch.com

By Paul Abraham 

Journaling generally involves the practice of keeping a diary or journal that explores thoughts and feelings surrounding the events of your life and especially as we begin the countdown to Christmas and all the stresses that can bring.

There are several different ways to do this. Journaling, as a stress management and self-exploration tool, works best when done consistently, but even occasional, sporadic journaling can be stress relieving when the practice is focused on gratitude or emotional processing.  

One of the most effective ways to reduce stress with journaling is to write in detail about feelings and thoughts related to stressful events, as one would discuss topics in therapy, and brainstorm solutions, but there are several different ways to practice journaling.

The journaling method you choose can depend on your needs at the time, and your personality; just do what feels right for you.

Journaling allows you to clarify your thoughts and feelings, thereby gaining valuable self-knowledge. It’s also a good problem-solving tool; often there will be times when you can express a problem and come up with solutions more easily on paper.

Journaling can also help you to focus on areas of your life that you like to focus on more often, which can help to inspire you to set goals to improve the quality of your life.

You may feel reluctant to relive negative experiences. And journaling only about your negative feelings without incorporating thoughts or plans may actually cause more stress.  

A simple way to counteract this is to be sure you end your journaling sessions with a few words about potential solutions to your problems, things you appreciate in your life, or things that give you hope for the future.

Unlike more physical stress management techniques, such as yoga or exercise, journaling is a viable option for the disabled. And, although some prefer to use a computer, journaling requires only a pen and paper, so it’s less expensive than techniques that require the aid of a class, book, teacher or therapist, such as yoga.

Journaling doesn’t release tension from your body like progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery and other physical and meditative techniques, however. But it’s a great practice for overall stress reduction as well as self-knowledge and emotional healing.

Journaling is a highly effective tool for stress relief and can take several forms, so there are multiple options that can work for you. If you already have a favourite journaling habit, by all means, keep it up! But you may want to try something new in addition to it. And if you’re new to journaling, here are three practices to try. See what works best for you.

Gratitude Journal

Some people keep a daily gratitude journal where they list three or more aspects of each day for which they are grateful.

This is a highly effective strategy for relieving stress because it helps you to focus on the resources you have in your life already and create a more positive mood at the moment, both of which have been shown to build long-term resilience.

A bonus benefit is that you are left with a record of the many nice things that have happened throughout your days, so if you’re feeling down in the future, you can cheer yourself up with a few pages of reminders for the things you have to appreciate in life.

Emotional Release

You may also write about your emotional responses to events that have happened throughout the day as a way of coping with the stress.

This can help you to process what you are feeling and perhaps even explore more positive re-framing options. When writing about positive experiences, this allows you the ability to maximise and savour the positive feelings you may have for the good things that have happened in your day.  

This is also a great way to expand on the positive and manage the negative things that happen in your life, increasing your positivity ratio, which is an important aspect of stress management.

Bullet Journal or Personal Planning Journal

Some people simply keep journals to track what they need to do each day, goals they have, memories they create, and other things they don’t want to forget.

Because writing things down can help keep your mind uncluttered and help you to remember what’s important to you, this can relieve stress as well. Being more organized and balanced is a great way to feel less stressed.

And remember, if you find yourself not keeping a regular schedule with journaling, it’s a habit you can resume at any time. You don’t have to journal every day in order for it to work for you – a few times a week is still highly beneficial, and even journaling on an as-needed basis brings benefits.

If you had a journaling habit and stopped because life got in the way, remember – any day is a good day to get back into the habit!

https://westleedsdispatch.com/paul-abraham-writing-to-ease-stress-through-journaling-2/

Soldier's explosive diary lifts lid on reality of war

From expressandstar.com

In the immediate aftermath of the Gulf War in 1991, as victorious soldiers prepared to return home, it was made clear to John Wolf in no uncertain terms that his diary of the conflict must be burnt.

But he managed to keep hold of it, and for nearly three decades sat on it, an explosive real-life record which if published would have ended his career and even, he was warned, get him sent to jail.

Becoming a civilian defused the threats of the military establishment and the result was that that diary has finally been published as a book called The Reality of War. And ironically John, who lives near Whitchurch, says the feedback has been surprisingly positive.

He talks of a British Army in which, at least in the unit in which he served, rank counts for more than expertise and knowledge, and ordinary soldiers often find themselves in effect treated, in his view, as officers' slaves.

Sent to the Gulf as part of Britain's response to Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, John started keeping the diary after a female American soldier sent him a blank book.

"I kept a diary mainly because it was something new, something different at the time and it gave me something to do as well. As time went on I started realising there were lots of things going on and you think 'the public know none of this'.

"My perception of what war was like and what to expect was not what happened. Me and friends would chat and say 'people will never believe this, never believe what goes on.' I thought 'I'm going to write it all down'."

                                               John playing baseball during a quiet time in the Gulf

At first Army colleagues were a little scared about what he was doing, but as time went by they started to contribute and offer information, although he did not include it if it was not relevant or was their personal experience.

"At the end of the war my commanding officer wanted the book burnt. I was threatened that if I was to publish they would go all bells and whistles and get me jailed for doing it."

His colleagues knew what was in it because he had allowed them to read it so they could factually verify it as he went along. Clearly his revelations held an embarrassment factor. "Our officers especially are a breed which are so unique. Unless you served in a cavalry regiment and came across them you would not believe what they were like."

                                                               The Reality of War

One surprising war zone task involved laying a green carpet in one of the big tents in the desert – with any carpet left over being used on the floors of the Army vehicles. 

An additional factor causing him to delay publication was that he wanted to avoid the possibility of giving encouragement to potential adversaries by making them think that the British Army was not as good as it liked to believe.

"I didn't want to put people in harm's way by putting a book out telling the truth about what we are like."

John, who is 57, served 37 years in the military, starting out in divisional reconnaissance and ending his career as an instructor on the Apache helicopter. His service included a tour in Afghanistan.

He moved to Shropshire when he worked at RAF Shawbury and although now a civilian, his work is still military-related. "I teach in Europe – I teach military pilots how to operate in combat zones."

Having served in Afghanistan, he prefers not to make his real name public – of course, his Army colleagues know his identity anyway – and has chosen the author's pseudonym John Wolf for a straightforward reason. "I have always loved wolves. They are my favourite creature."

The book is available through Amazon and also has a dedicated website, www.therealityofwar.com. 

"I thought some of the officers from my regiment would buy the book and be very anti it. I have had four officers who have bought it and said that it's brilliant – 'yes, we really are like that.' That really surprised me."

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/nostalgia/2022/11/21/soldiers-explosive-diary-lifts-lid-on-reality-of-war/

One Sentence Can Say So Much ... And So Little

By Tim Holman

Writing a diary should be a spontaneous act. Whether it is done on a weekly, daily or hourly basis, the words should flow freely from pen to paper, or via keyboard to screen. As a result, events, opinions and emotions are expressed as they occur in the language of the time.

Of course, this can lead to verbosity or repetition, but at least the writing is authentic. Looked at again in the future, it will bring back to life the events, thoughts and feelings of today.

The opposite approach is to take too much care with what is written and impose a form of self-censorship. My own diary from 50 years ago has a stark example of this. 14th November 1972: "Mum died at approx. 2.00am in hospital." 

That's all, quickly followed by a resumption of the usual list of school lessons attended and domestic bits and pieces. But what a confusion of heartache, uncertainty and family upheaval lies behind those words! It would have been better and more therapeutic to write more about my feelings and fears on that day and during the weeks that followed - and of course to talk about them, too. But I was 14 and immature, so kept all that stuff to myself. This was not a healthy way to proceed.

Nowadays many people take to social media to air at considerable length their opinions, woes, pet subjects and grievances. These can be quite tiresome to read, but at least nothing is hidden and everything on the internet has a limited shelf life, so it doesn't really matter. Diaries and journals have a physical form and can endure for much longer, so their potential value is greater. It is important, therefore, that they contain honest and vibrant writing, jotted down as thoughts occur. My 1972 diary shows clearly how NOT to do this.

Why you should keep a journal

From standardmedia.co.ke

Keeping a diary or a journal is a habit that many of us have abandoned. Sometimes we imagine that it’s not an important practice or that it has no significant benefits, but that is not actually the case.

There is definitely a reason why journaling was practised since ancient times by everyone including royals and everyday people. There are tons of reasons why you should have a journal and on this list are six that you should know.

                                                                               (Photo: iStock)

So, better start identifying a cute journal to purchase because after this, you will start penning down everything:

• It’s an effective way to de-stress

There are different methods we use to manage our stress levels. Some people drink, others call a friend to vent and some, in this case, journal.

The reason why journaling helps is that it declutters the mind. The process of writing down your feelings organizes those thoughts in a way you can understand, which is be beneficial for your mental health. You can even write down some of those thoughts you might not want to share with anyone else.

• It helps you be more organized

Journaling can also help you plan your days better. You’re free to write your daily to-do list there and track your progress throughout the day.

In case something doesn’t go right, you will be able to see where you need to adjust. This is much better than relying on your own memory to get things done.

• It encourages you to rediscover yourself

All of us are in some kind of self-discovery process because we are constantly changing. And when you have your journal, you will continue to note how your personality has changed over time.

You will rediscover the things you now like, those you dislike, as well as the areas you might need to work on. This is a positive step in being more self-aware.

• It teaches you how to set goals

Goal setting is an important part of life. The small goals we set can help push us closer to the big dreams we have.

A journal can help you learn how to set those every day goals and the major ones as well. You will be able to break all of them down into more achievable daily targets as you keep track.

• It helps you appreciate your progress

Journaling also helps you acknowledge how far you’ve come as far as your goals are concerned. If you had some goals at the beginning of the year, like reaching a specific weight for example, you will get to see where you’re at right now and celebrate the wins.

Seeing that change might seem insignificant but, it really helps you appreciate your consistency. And another positive effect of that is increased self-confidence.

• It could inspire new ideas

Your personal journal is where you can write down all your interesting ideas. It’s more relaxing because you know you can write anything down without feeling judged and, at your own pace.

If you had some random business ideas that maybe you would consider in future, you can write them down and actually see whether you can come up with a realistic plan. You’re able to write as many as you want regardless of how insane they sound. 

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/living/article/2001460193/why-you-should-keep-a-journal 

Living my story, one diary at a time: A personal essay

From dailycal.org

By Eriko Yamakuma

got back into an old habit one and a half years ago, waiting in the bathroom line at the Lund station in Sweden. The wait had been prolonged due to cleaning, so I took out a pen and notebook that I had just purchased at a local stationery store and wrote on the page, “Hello, I’m waiting for the bathroom at the Lund station right now…”

That became the first line of my new diary — my first entry after four years. Since then, I rediscovered the comfort in jotting down my thoughts on a little book I could carry with me everywhere. At first, keeping a diary was a way to kill time, to feel less alone, but slowly, it became a habit; I started recording my days in my diary whenever I had time and felt like it, especially after eventful days.

I first started keeping a diary at the age of 9. Back then, my diary was one of the few joys I had in life. Most of my entries at the time were about my skating life, consisting mostly of some advice my coach had given me during our lessons —mainly some tips on the triple jumps I was working on, or the dance moves in my program, and all the harsh comments and slurs he directed towards me, which I would detail on the page word to word.

I first started keeping a diary at the age of 9. Back then, my diary was one of the few joys I had in life.

Despite my struggles with my skating instructor, however, my biggest threat back then was my mother, who would take away my precious 500 yen (equivalent to five U.S. dollars) if I didn’t do well on the run-through of the day, or yell at me and my brother — even though it was my brother alone who had screwed up in the practice, not me!

But no matter what happened in those years, it felt good to know that, at the end of my busy days packed with skating practices and school, I could always come back to my little diary book. At the age of 18, however, at the same time as I said goodbye to my skating career, I also stopped keeping a diary. 

After a turbulent four years during which I did not keep a diary, I went from an ice rink in Japan to a university campus in Berkeley; my life now looks very different. This fall, unpacking my stored suitcases from my old apartment, I found two old diaries that I had filled since the Sweden trip, together with the two additional ones I had taken with me, which made a pile of four books. Though I don’t have a habit of reading old entries, I decided to give them a read, to get a taste of what my life story looked like in the past years. 

The diaries, it turned out, were goldmines. Contrary to my initial expectation that reading old entries would be boring since I remember all my past experiences anyway, many of the contents presented to me seemed like completely new events — only a few of which I slightly recall. It felt like reading a novel, except it was a true story and I was both the protagonist and the narrator. 

It felt like reading a novel, except it was a true story and I was both the protagonist and the narrator. 

My biggest struggle seemed to be — and still is — relationships, both platonic and romantic. For pages, I would describe my friendship with this girl, complaining about how she’s always unavailable and it’s always me who reaches out first, but on the next page I would write that I had a nice picnic and a fun movie night with her. I would go through a phase of wanting to be in a romantic relationship on one page, only to declare on the next page that I am not interested in relationships – usually after watching too many psycho-killer documentaries with the same female friend I had complained about a few pages ago. 

What I enjoyed the most about reading these old entries was the randomness, which I found to be much like our daily lives. For half a book, all my entries were about my crush on this one boy: listing all the things I liked about him, our cute memories together, describing how I had cried on the train after saying goodbye, and finding lines from K-drama shows that resonated with my experience with him. Occasionally, I would record on the pages my driving coach’s comments on my seemingly terrible (possibly dangerous) driving: “Do not keep the blinker on after having taken a turn, do not ignore the traffic lights, stay in the right lane (LEFT in Japan!) and do not go over the white line!” 

What I enjoyed the most about reading these old entries was the randomness, which I found to be much like our daily lives.

In another book, I wrote about my first-ever hitchhiking experience — how I was scared to death the entire ride and almost peed my pants while my friend was quite relaxed and carrying a conversation with the driver, who, by the way, while kind enough to give us a ride, was “self-absorbed,” according to my diary entry. Of course, this description was followed by a warning to myself on the next page: “Cut down badmouthing people!” followed by another “Never buy jeans again, even if they are on sale (you own too many!)” 

Going through old entries, I realized that while I can never fully remember everything I ever experience, my diary will. Reading the countless emotional entries I made at airports, the descriptions of my romantic struggles with my ex, of eventful party nights and my stress-induced white hairs, I realized that I’ve been through a lot. Being reminded of all the hardships I overcame gave me confidence that whatever challenges I may face in the future, it’s most likely that I can overcome them too.

Going through old entries, I realized that while I can never fully remember everything I ever experience, my diary will.

The most important treasure I found from these goldmines, however, is the sense of authorship in my life story. Though my friends often say that their lives are “eventless and boring,” the fact is, they never are. Each person has their own, interesting life, but it is difficult to see when it’s all scattered everywhere. Besides, we tend to forget most of it, just like I forgot about my old entries. Diaries help us put these interesting pieces back together, and seeing it come out—though in bits, if not all—on paper, reminds us that our life is a story, and it’s ongoing.

Though different in narrative voice and maturity, it’s always been me who wrote my story. As an author, I have the power to shape my story however I like. Knowing this, I tell myself, I’d better write a cool one.

https://www.dailycal.org/2022/11/05/one-diary-at-a-time