How Journaling Can Help You Succeed at Work

From sg.news.yahoo.com

When was the last time you thought about how you can challenge yourself? Or took inventory of your accomplishments? Or even checked in with whether you’re happy at work?

Sometimes, you’re so busy crossing tasks off a constantly growing to-do list that you’re inadvertently neglecting your career performance and goals.

You can reclaim that focus in as little as 15 minutes. How? By journaling at the end of every workday.

“A typical day at the office in 2017 involves a lot of professionals constantly moving from one task to another, one device to another,” says Jill Jacinto, a millennial career expert based in New York City. “Journaling is a great tool that can help you reflect on your workplace and the work you are doing.”

We spoke with experts to explore benefits of writing “Dear Diary” daily and provided some journal ideas to help get you started.

Identify your long-term career vision

Take some time to think about what you want to accomplish throughout your career and the type of career you want to have. Introspective questions can help you delineate between what you actually want and what you think you should want.

“Journaling can help you gain clarity on your career vision and keep you accountable,” says Rachel Andujar, founder of the Maryland-based career-coaching firm Rethink Nine to Five. “I remember journaling while still working as a CPA and trying to figure out my next step. By writing it all down, I was able to feel more confident about what I wanted to achieve and who I wanted to impact.”

Journaling prompts: What type of job would I want to do if salary weren’t a factor? What type of company culture is best for me? How do I define a successful career? What are my work values?

Track your progress and future goals

Use journaling to reflect on the past—and focus on your future. Todd Cherches, an adjunct professor at New York University, asks his clients to keep a journal “so that they can capture their thoughts and challenges, reflect back, and track their progress.”

Cherches also notes that journaling allows you to be proactive about planning for the future. (So maybe you’ll have an answer next time someone asks you about your five-year plan.) “Journaling allows you to plan your time better, prioritize, systemize, organize, and strategize,” he says. Identify your goals and create an actionable plan for making it happen.

Journaling prompts: What are some accomplishments I’ve achieved, and how can I continue to build upon them? What are my short-term and long-term goals? What progress have I made toward accomplishing my goals? What are challenges that are making it harder for me to reach my goals?

Create productive strategies for handling work stress

Let’s face it: Sometimes work can be stressful. Use your journal as a safe space to vent without having to worry about your comments getting back to your boss. And that’s not the only benefit; journaling allows you to be reflective and thoughtful before you react.

“Journaling can help you process challenging times, experiences, and events at work in a more effective and productive way,” says Kathy Caprino, founder of Amazing Career Project. “It allows you to take more productive action and have more balanced conversations and interactions going forward.”

Journaling prompts: How did this situation make me feel? What can I do to make the situation better? Is there anything I did that contributed to the situation? What can I do differently next time? Is there anything I can do to reduce my stress?

Evaluate your career happiness

It’s a simple question: “Do you like your job?” But the answer can be, well, complicated. Journaling can help you home in on certain emotions that might otherwise go unnoticed. When you go back and read entries, you might realize that most of them are about feeling stressed, dealing with toxic co-workers, or trying (and failing) to work well with your horrible boss.

“A career is a journey and it can be easy to get stuck in a mindset that how you are feeling today equals a permanent state,” says Alyssa Krane, chief talent strategist at the Toronto-based talent acquisition firm Powerhouse Talent Inc. “Once you start to see concerns appear in more of a chronic state, it may be time to consider a change.”

If you’ve been putting off searching for a new job on Monster, journaling can be just the springboard you need.

Journaling prompts: What tasks energized me or drained me this month? What do I like or dislike about my colleagues? What are some positive and negative things about my work environment? Is there anything I can do to be happier at work? What are some pros and cons about my current job? Would I be happier at another company? Would switching jobs make a difference or would I need to make a career change?

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/finance/news/journaling-help-succeed-230035614.html 

How to journal for mental health: 8 expert tips, from writing by hand to tracking your moods

From stylist.co.uk

Do you want to start journaling but you’re not quite sure where to begin? We’ve got tips from therapists on how to start off on the right foot… 

Journaling – not to be confused with diary-keeping, which is more about recording things in your life as they happen – is all about reflecting on your thoughts and feelings. It’s a great way to take some time for yourself, explore your creative side and express yourself without fear of judgment.

Pamela Roberts is an addiction therapist at the Priory Hospital in Woking and a big fan of journaling. She calls it “a method for self-exploration and growth” and argues that it can even be considered another branch of our support system, albeit an inanimate one not intended to replace people.

“Developing a support network is key in maintaining our wellbeing,” she explains, “and often this is understood as meaning people, but what about at 2am when ruminations take over? Journaling is a freely available and easily accessed resource within our network of support.

“It is a private outlet to notice one’s own judgments, prejudices or acceptance, without navigating the reactions of others at this stage. It offers the potential for creating clarity. It can help track triggers, offers self-understanding and ways to manage different situations become obvious as we get a clearer view of patterns of reactions, and we can therefore develop responses in accordance with our values. It’s creative and stimulates more creativity.”

That sounds pretty fantastic to us. If you’re a fan of the idea as well, read on for some expert tips on how to get your journaling journey started. 

Rule number one: there are no rules

Dee Johnson, a therapist at the Priory Hospital’s Chelmsford branch, says there shouldn’t be any rules when it comes to journaling.

“Journaling is such a wonderful, personal activity,” she says, “and it is important to remember that because it is about you and for you, you should allow yourself to make it what you need and want it to be. Do not make it a strict regime – it should not be an onerous task or filled with guilt and a sense of failure if you do not stick to the schedule, as that in itself may highlight some of the harsh expectations you may put upon yourself. It’s not uncommon for a patient to share that they felt they were ‘useless and could not even stick to a daily journal’.

“There are many fantastic journaling books you can buy now with sections, ideas and prompts to complete, which is great but remember that it is your journal, so it’s not mandatory to complete it in full each day. Alternatively, opt for a blank book or even make it a scrapbook – it really is whatever works for you.”

So with that in mind, the following tips are just that: tips, not hard and fast rules.

Remove all expectations

“Or if [expectations] are present,” says Roberts, “notice them and write about them. Gradually learning what’s helpful about journaling mirrors the very fact of being open and willing to learn and grow around our challenges, our conflicts and our issues in life. We cannot live without these things occurring but, as Leonard Cohen suggested, the cracks are where the light gets in. So, let’s benefit by journaling in a self-reflective way.”

Write by hand

“It is recommended, where possible, to keep journals handwritten,” advises Johnson. “This more mindful action is very helpful because you will slow down and think about what’s going on, and how you felt. You are ‘dumping’ all sorts of noise and information out of your internal chatter. By doing this we can really start to pull apart and focus on what matters in that moment. For example, what were stress and anxiety-based fears and thoughts, compared to what really happened?

“When we reread it, our brain knows it’s us, recognising our own handwriting so it really resonates and can naturally help us reflect more and possibly even bring about a little more self-compassion. If you need – or would prefer – to do your journal electronically, switch off the spell and grammar check and just let yourself free flow, as the auto-correct will keep jolting us out of the main focus of what we are feeling and needing to express.”

                                                                       Image: Getty

Get creative

Johnson says: “Being creative is a must for our mental health management. It helps us to process our emotions in a clearer and more focused manner; it is an energy boost and helps alleviate stress and low mood. Your journal does not have to be a ‘full on’ script – it can be bullet points, single words or sketches and drawings. Incorporating objects that have been of value or significance to you – a pressed leaf or flower, a sweet wrapper, a train ticket, a photo or picture cut out from a magazine, for instance – can all be useful and help ensure your journal is not rigid. Use different colours of inks, crayons, pencils, whatever you like, as these can reflect your moods in a non-verbal way too.”

Write with compassion

“Keep a reality check and recognise what’s going on, such as your thoughts, emotions, beliefs and influences,” says Roberts, “and acknowledge these with compassion, rather than criticism. A little self-critique is to be welcomed too, but condemnation can be so unhelpful. Enquire into whatever the journaling is revealing – any obvious roots for this way of thinking, for example, or any similarities in the past. Have things worked out or not? We can then start to see a clearing of what needs to be done now.”

Keep score of your mood

“Many people find it helpful to keep a regular score on their mood,” says Johnson, “so they can start to see patterns and what may influence that and realise that our emotions are transient and not always ‘stuck’, even though in that moment that is exactly what it feels like. So if 10 is great and 0 is rubbish, you can start to piece together what influences that, which can then help you to take action. Many of my patients share this in a therapy session and find it really helpful and insightful.”

Make space for gratitude

“Place more focus and gratitude on the everyday small things, develop a greater awareness, be in the moment and value what you have right now,” says Johnson. "Gratitude grounds us and makes us more aware, focused and connects us to each other in a caring and more productive manner. Even in ‘bad’ times, when we’re feeling hopeless and full of despair, making a conscious effort to find a small piece of something to be thankful for can just be enough to know there is hope beyond the pain. Noting in your journal whenever you can the small ‘wins’ such as having a good sleep, getting a parking space, a seat on the train, sharing a joke, hearing the birds sing, having a great cup of coffee, etc. Make this a regular focus in your journal as this will help and enhance your mood.”

Keep it secret, keep it safe

Johnson says: “Just ensure that however you decide to keep your journal, keep it safe from people you do not want to see it. A journal is a good place to vent and really get things off your chest. It is so personal it is sacred and should not be something that could cause you any harm, hurt or risk if someone got their hands on it.”

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Frame Of Mind is Stylist’s home for all things mental health and the mind. From expert advice on the small changes you can make to improve your wellbeing to first-person essays and features on topics ranging from autism to antidepressants, we’ll be exploring mental health in all its forms. You can check out the series home page to get started.

https://www.stylist.co.uk/health/mental-health/how-to-journal/858785 

Why Is It So Damn Hard To Keep A Journal?

From refinery29.com

By Kayleigh Dray

I’ve never been the sort of person who keeps a diary. There was that fluffy padlocked notebook in my tweens, but I only ever occasionally remembered its existence. If I could find it now in the ruins and cardboard boxes of my childhood, it would likely be 85% blank pages, 10% doodles, and 5% “spy notes” about my family (nothing quite like scribbling down all of your loved ones’ movements, eh?).

Still, like countless others, I’ve spent a lot of time watching influencers’ morning and evening routines on social media. A lot of time. And, yes, I’ve noticed that almost all of them include a journaling session or two. It makes a lot of sense: Studies have repeatedly shown that engaging in regular journaling can help reduce stress, manage anxiety and depression symptoms, enhance self-awareness, promote emotional regulation, provide opportunities for positive self-talk, and even strengthen resilience in the face of challenges. If you can stick to it. 

Intrigued by all of the above, and keen to see if it could help me get a better handle on my own stresses and worries, I decided to give it a go for myself — but not before consulting with the experts. And, as you’ve likely guessed already, it turns out my snarky tween diary definitely wouldn’t cut it when it comes to reaping the myriad psychological benefits of this popular pastime. 

“Journaling is essentially another way of saying ‘putting our thoughts and feelings down on paper,' giving them a place to exist outside of our heads,” explains mental health advocate, author of Therapy Is…Magic, and trainee psychotherapist Jo Love, describing it as a “tool that allows us to process our emotions and creates an opportunity for self-reflection.”

“Its effectiveness varies based on individual preferences and psychological needs,” adds author, psychologist and certified therapist, Kalanit Ben-Ari, PhD. “Reflective journaling is particularly beneficial for emotional release, processing feelings and thoughts, and reducing anxiety. It enhances self-awareness; as one writes, reads, and perhaps edits or adds to their entries, they create a psychological space between themselves and their thoughts and feelings. This process allows for framing experiences and opens the door for processing and reframing.”

Reassuring me that there are no set rules for how to journal “properly,” Love notes that “there are thousands of helpful ideas and prompts out there if you find yourself staring fruitlessly at a blank page.” 

“The main thing is to ditch the guilt about achieving perfection,” she adds. “Even if all you do is write a single line, then that is totally OK.”

“Personal preference absolutely plays a role,” agrees Dr. Ben-Ari. “Some find it beneficial to write in the morning to set intentions and establish a positive mindset for the day, while others prefer journaling before bed, which helps in reflecting on the day and calming the mind for a good night’s sleep.”

With their advice in mind, I dug an unused notebook out from the back of a drawer, scoured the house for a pen (a fruitless task: I wound up buying a pack of biros at the corner shop), and positioned them artfully beside my bed.

                                 “Even if all you do is write a single line, then that is totally OK.”

Reader, I won’t lie to you: I found it incredibly difficult to think of anything to write for the first few nights and mornings. The words of my university’s creative writing tutor rang in my ears, however — just start writing, and the words will come — and so that’s what I did. I wrote banal little sentences about my day: about what I’d eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. About how delayed the trains had been. About the weather (how incredibly, painfully British of me). Unsurprisingly, I began to view the journaling as a chore to be ticked off, rather than as valuable time for myself. 

This is normal: as humans, we are notoriously bad at forging new habits. In fact, research shows that 23% of people quit their resolutions by the end of the first week, and 43% quit by the end of January. “Like resolutions, you might start journaling with great intentions and goodwill, but find they often fade within a few weeks,” says Dr. Ben-Ari. “People might find it hard to stick to a journaling schedule, as it doesn't offer the same benefits for everyone's mental and emotional health.”

Thankfully, both of my experts had some tips on how to get more out of my tentative journaling experiment — in the hope that I might be able to keep the good habit in place for longer.

                                                                           PHOTOGRAPHED BY TAYLER SMITH

“Treat your journal as a private exploration space just for you and no one else,” suggests Love. “Take some time to reflect on your day, important events in your life, or decisions you’ve made. You might want to jot down anything you’re worried or bothered about. It can be helpful, too, to think about what has made you feel good or proud of yourself. And a letter to your past or future self can be a truly powerful experience.”

Dr. Ben-Ari, meanwhile, had another suggestion with regards to what to write. “In my clinic, I encourage clients to keep a dream journal, as dreams, which are easily forgotten, carry messages from our inner wisdom and unconscious,” she told me. “Writing them down serves three functions: remembering the dreams; learning about the dreams narratives and themes; and noticing the psychological shifts they reflect in therapy.”

I began taking a cup of chamomile tea up with me to bed and sipping it as I noted down all of my thoughts and feelings in a bid to make my head — and world — feel that little bit clearer. I’m the sort of socially anxious person who worries over every perceived slight, so I used my journal to explore these fears rather than lying awake obsessing over them. And, as someone whose inner critic is her biggest bully, it was genuinely lovely to take a moment each night to pay attention to the things I’d done well — no matter how small. 

As time ticked on, I found myself looking forward to curling up in bed with my journal. And, as someone who usually spends a great deal of time tossing and turning and fretting before eventually plunging headfirst into a series of anxiety-fuelled dreams (dreams which I’m now making a point of committing to paper, I hasten to add), I’m happy to report that I found myself falling asleep more quickly after journaling, too. The dreams have proven as erratic as ever, mind you, but I’m hoping that keeping this habit up will help to improve them over time.

If I’m being completely honest, my inner cynic wanted this experiment to prove a failure. I’ve never been fond of elaborate morning and evening routines — especially when they reek of “wellbeing washing” — and all of the “click to buy” links on people’s social media made me assume it was nothing but a cash grab. 

       "As time ticked on, I found myself looking forward to curling up in bed with my journal.”

I also found that buying myself an extra-special sparkly notebook added a sense of occasion to proceedings, but anything will do the job in a pinch. All you really need is a few minutes each day: Yes, many people aim to write for 15 or 20 minutes, but starting small is honestly the best way to set a habit in motion (and, if you’re anything like me, you’ll find that you wind up writing more and more as the weeks tick by).

If you need some help getting started, Love suggests that you try something like “a ‘gratitude journal’ and jot down three things you’re grateful for, or a ‘one sentence a day’ approach to help take the pressure off, particularly for those who find writing hard or are out of practice. “Writing about whatever events, thoughts or feelings that came up that day can be another simple entry point to journaling,” she adds.

Just one word of caution: While this activity has proven incredibly beneficial to many people, and while I myself have been won over, it’s important to pay attention to how the activity makes you feel. Everyone is different.

“Reflective journaling, when feeling overwhelmed, offers a space to make sense of experiences and feelings, helping to calm the mind,” says Dr. Ben-Ari. “However, I generally don’t recommend journaling ‘to-do lists’ as they can add stress or distract from deeper issues that need attention. Also, writing that dwells excessively on negative events or feelings, a process known as over-rumination, can lead to increased stress. Concerns about privacy can also impact the honesty needed for reflective journaling.”

Adding that “it’s also important to note that not everyone enjoys writing,” Ben-Ari notes that its benefits can still be reaped “through art, drawing or other creative means as a way to process feelings.” We just need to remember that it is a tool, and use it in a way that works best for us as individuals.

On that note, I’m off to bed — and, yes, you’d best believe I’ll be journaling about the experience of writing about journaling. Things are about to get incredibly meta…

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2024/01/11636388/daily-journaling-mental-health-benefits

The Power of Journaling for Your Mental Health

From healthnews.com

Tracking your thoughts and emotions in a journal is commonly acknowledged as a strategy for addressing stress and anxiety. It helps in depression management and discovering peace and calmness amid life's chaos. Journaling is serving as an emotional release, and countering negative thought patterns. Learn more about the power of journaling for your mental health 

Key takeaways:

• Journaling opens doors to self-discovery, emotional healing, and personal growth. Its versatile techniques empower individuals to effectively manage stress, cultivate gratitude, and improve well-being.
• Expressing your thoughts and emotions through journaling provides a means of addressing feelings of depression and anxiety. By engaging in self-reflection and emotional management, it becomes a tool for maintaining well-being and facilitating healing.
• Journaling also serves as an outlet for managing work-related stress. It helps individuals in the workplace by identifying stress solving problems and releasing emotions, empowering them to manage and maintain their emotions.

This article examines the numerous advantages of keeping a health journal and offers suggestions for incorporating it into personal growth.

The psychology behind journaling

Research on journaling as a mental health tool explores the relationship between our feelings and thoughts and how they impact our mental well-being. Studies highlight the relationship between recognizing our feelings and feeling better about ourselves, which in turn improves our mood and lowers anxiety.

Keeping a journal is one way to facilitate this process. In addition to helping us identify our feelings, it also promotes mindful acceptance, which offers a powerful way to overcome obstacles and promote personal development.

Journaling becomes a tool for self-discovery by allowing people to put pen to paper and express their thoughts and feelings. This allows people to explore their emotions and gain insights that help them move toward well-being.

The benefits of journaling

Beyond just jotting down thoughts on paper, journaling has been shown to improve wellbeing. Here are a few ways that journaling on a regular basis can improve our health:

• Reducing stress. Writing about your worries and things that cause you stress helps to alleviate tension and minimize their effects.
  
• Regulating emotions. Journaling provides an outlet for processing and managing your emotions, making it easier to handle feelings and navigate through them.
  
• Self-understanding. Maintaining a journal on a regular basis encourages reflection and provides understanding of your thoughts and behaviour.
  
• Managing anxiety and depression. Journaling can be a tool for empowering individuals who are dealing with anxiety or depression.
  
• Solving problems. Journaling can assist you in analysing problems, leading to the development of practical solutions and reducing feelings of helplessness.
  
• Promoting sleep. Clearing your mind by writing in a journal before bedtime helps reduce racing thoughts and worries resulting in improved sleep quality.
  

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How can journaling help with depression and anxiety?

For those who struggle with anxiety or depression, journaling has been shown to be quite helpful. This simple practice provides a platform for expressing, understanding, and ultimately overcoming these mental health challenges.

When it comes to depression, journaling helps people identify and question their thought patterns. Additionally, it tracks mood swings, which can support intervention. Through experience journaling, individuals can identify triggers and develop strategies to manage their condition. Furthermore, journaling can strengthen a sense of accomplishment and self-worth that is frequently weakened by depression.

Journaling serves as a release outlet for worries that have built up when it comes to managing anxiety. It enables people to examine their fears, which helps them become more controllable. Additionally, journaling provides a space for examining and resolving fears. By promoting self-reflection it cultivates mindfulness and helps people deal with their anxiety in a composed manner.

Journaling to help with work-related stress

Keeping a journal is a useful tool for managing stress at work because it allows people to stay in control, increase productivity, and protect their general health in the demanding environment of their line of work.

Here's how it can be beneficial:

• Identifying stressors. Through journaling about work experiences, you can pinpoint the sources of work-related stress by recognizing recurring patterns and specific triggers.
  
• Expressing emotions. Writing in a journal offers an outlet to express any frustrations, anger, or anxiety you may experience in your job. Putting these feelings down on paper can help alleviate tension and promote a sense of calmness.
• Addressing challenges. Journaling can serve as a tool to brainstorm solutions to various obstacles. When you document problems and challenges, it becomes easier to devise strategies to overcome them.
• Managing time effectively. Maintaining a work journal aids in organizing tasks and prioritizing them, which can reduce the feeling of having too much on your plate.
• Setting goals. Utilize your journal as a means to establish career goals and track your progress. This practice fosters a sense of purpose and motivation in the workplace.
  
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Journaling techniques to improve mental health

There are four different styles and approaches of journaling that offers flexibility in enhancing ones mental health:

• Gratitude journaling. Keeping track of things you feel grateful for each day helps shift focus towards the positive aspects of life, boosting happiness levels while alleviating stress.
  
• Bullet journaling. A method that combines elements of a to-do list, planner, and diary. It employs bullet points, symbols, and concise notes to assist with task organization, goal setting, and monitoring areas of one's life.
  
• Morning pages. One method that was made popular by Julia Cameron in her book "The Artists Way" is to write three pages of thoughts each morning. It helps clear the mind, inspire creativity, and provide insights into one's desires and thoughts.
  
• Art journaling. This technique combines words with art, allowing for the expression of thoughts and emotions through drawings, paintings, collages, or any other creative medium. It provides an opportunity to tap into your side while exploring your feelings through imagery.
  
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How to begin journaling

Getting started with journaling is remarkably simple. All you need is paper, a pen (or even a digital platform) and some spare time.

The process of journaling:

• Choose your materials. Opt for a notebook or digital tool that suits your preferences. Find a pen, pencil, or device that you are comfortable with.
• Select a time. Set aside a period each day for journaling. It could be in the morning to set intentions for the day, during work breaks to alleviate stress, or in the evening to reflect on the events of the day.
• Create an inviting environment. Seek out a cosy space where you can concentrate without distractions.
• Start each entry with the date. This allows you to monitor your progress over time.
• Express yourself. When journaling, don't worry about grammar or structure. Just let your thoughts, emotions, and experiences flow freely onto the page.
• Establish a purpose for your journaling. Determine what you hope to achieve through this practice. It could be self-reflection, stress management, goal setting, or personal growth tracking.
• Reflect and review. Periodically reflect on your entries. By doing so, you can gain insights into your progress and personal development over time.

To sum up, journaling is a way to improve your wellbeing. There are many benefits to this practice, whether it is for organizing tasks, expressing gratitude, or exploring deep thoughts and reflections.

If you find that your journaling experiences bring up emotions that are difficult for you to handle alone, it would be advisable to seek guidance and support from a mental health professional.

FAQ

What are the benefits of keeping a journal for mental health?

Journaling provides a personal space for self expression. It enables people to explore their ideas, feelings, and anxieties, which can support emotional control and self-awareness. Journaling helps us improve our health without worrying about other people's opinions or judgment since it helps us process our feelings and reduce stress.

Is it necessary to journal every day to see results?

It is not necessary to journal every day in order to see results. You can adjust the frequency based on your schedule and your needs. Finding a routine that suits you is what matters most.

Can journaling assist in managing work related stress?

Maintaining a journal can be an excellent coping mechanism for stress at work. It can provide a channel for you to release and deal with any negative feelings associated with your job, as well as help you identify stressors and generate solutions. In a demanding work environment, it can help you reclaim control and enhance your wellbeing.

Resources:

1. JMIR Publications. Online Positive Affect Journaling in the Improvement of Mental Distress and Well-Being in General Medical Patients With Elevated Anxiety Symptoms: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial.
2. Family medicine and community health. Efficacy of journaling in the management of mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
3. Journal of affective disorders. An everyday activity as a treatment for depression: The benefits of expressive writing for people diagnosed with major depressive disorder.

https://healthnews.com/mental-health/self-care-and-therapy/journaling-for-your-mental-health/