Journaling for Health: Methods that Make it Fun

For many years, I taught college level writing, and one technique we explored frequently was freewriting. Freewriting is simply writing like mad without worrying about how it looks or sounds or whether your old English teacher would slap you upside the head for your mistakes. If you want to publish what you've written, sure, go back and clean it all up, but as you're freewriting, you need to let yourself just concentrate on your thoughts and not worry about what anyone else thinks. It's no one's business but yours.

I'll never forget one particular student who was combative about having to take a writing class. He was slow to trust; unenthusiastic about the assignments. I had students write a letter to me about who they were as a writer (or why they didn't see themselves as one), and to my surprise, this student stayed for twenty minutes after class, unable to stop writing. When he looked up he was crying. He may have cursed me a little, but then he confessed that writing had brought out some very powerful feelings he had buried. Bashfully, he said he felt pounds lighter.

I've always struggled with my mental health, and it was only a few years ago that therapy helped me understand the trauma I have lived with my whole life and how to begin the healing process. Journaling has been instrumental in recovery, but it took a lot of stops and starts to find a way to approach journaling that didn't get boring. One therapist brilliantly suggested I combine my love for drawing with my love of writing, and that was fun for a while, but I lost interest after a few weeks.

Bored?

No one wants to spend too much time thinking and writing about themselves... unless one is a narcissist I suppose. What I found works to keep my interest is having a source for prompts. A prompt is a statement or a question that can guide the direction of your writing. For example, what have you struggled with this week? You would answer the prompt by writing about whatever has been hard this week. You could focus on one thing or on many things. I've been struggling to sleep at night, so I recently tried a spread called, "Why I Can't [Flipping] Sleep." It was incredibly helpful, and I slept like a baby that night. Not the next night, so I guess I'll have to do it again!

By getting these thoughts down on paper (or digital paper), you get them out of your head so that you can relieve some stress and process what's bothering you. Some people enjoy gratitude journals; some prefer to write about pain; some may keep art journals or adventure journals. A friend of mine has this amazing journal with pockets she made where she keeps stickers or price tags or any bits of things she found interesting. She also livens it up with drawings. I love how thick and messy it is and how rich and lovely it feels in your hands.

The method I prefer right now is Tarot card journaling. I love my Tarot cards: I have three different sets, one traditional Rider Waite deck, one with cats, and one zombie themed deck. I also have a few guidebooks since I can never remember what each card represents. My favorite when I'm feeling really stressed is the Simple Tarot Deck Companion Guidebook by Angie Green because it's very upbeat. The little book that came with the zombie deck is amazing too. There are many books out there, just read the reviews before deciding which one sounds right for you. You can also skip the books altogether and use online sources for free. I'll detail the Tarot Journaling Method below.

If you are religious and prefer to stick to your Bible, there's another method you can use. Write down and number some questions you have, like, "Why am I feeling so stressed this week? What can I do to reduce my stress? What should I let go of? What should I focus on?" Then, riffle through your Bible randomly and write down a verse you found for each question. Then go on and write freely about what these verses mean to you and how you think they connect with the question you had. Really, both this and the Tarot method are meant to help you tap into your subconscious and consider what you already know. I do believe in a Higher Power, so I pray as I shuffle and lay out my cards, but each person should do what feels right for them.

Again, by getting these thoughts and feelings down on paper, you get them out of your head and where you can deal with them. Often, once you've faced your demons, you can heal and move on. Just be aware: it isn't a one time deal; it takes work to learn new habits of thinking and to override the bad habits you may have collected, like calling yourself names, or assuming that if you screwed up, you must be a loser. Life itself is a process, and we aren't robots to be programmed once to be perfect... as much as we might wish we were.

The Tarot Journaling Method

Step one: find a Tarot spread in a book or online that seems to fit your needs at the moment. I like to find spreads on Pinterest. Once you've studied a dozen or so, you can even create your own questions and spreads. A spread is simply how the cards are laid out. Be sure to shuffle carefully as you consider your questions, cut the deck, then lay out your cards.

Step two: if you prefer, you can draw a picture of the specific spread you're using in your journal so that you don't have to keep referring back to your book or the webpage. Write out the questions and number them, leaving about two inches of blank space in between to write your answers. Flip the cards over, either altogether or one at a time (I prefer one a time so I can concentrate). Write down what the card is and what it represents. It can be helpful to consult different guidebooks since each may have additional useful details, but you can keep it simple if you prefer. 

 "Tarot Reading Night!" by Kelly Hunter is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Step three: once you have the details for each card written down under it's corresponding question, begin to write about what they mean to you. Find connections to what's happening in your life. Explore how you feel about each of these answers. There is no right or wrong way to do this, but do NOT worry too much about grammatical mistakes since they will only distract you from your exploration of your thoughts. If you want to publish what you've written, then sure, go back and clean it up, but for now, just write. Think and write. Feel. 

Our subconscious minds store a huge amount of information and emotion, a lot of which comes out in our dreams or in our behavior during the day. Maybe you've been touchy or angry and don't know why. Journaling can help uncover the source of these feelings. 

I also taught a method called Looping: after you've written for awhile, go back and read what you wrote. Circle one thing that really calls to you. Freewrite some more with the focus on this one thing. If you're up to it, go back and read what you have now, and circle one thing, and write more about that one thing. You could do this for as long as your energy and interest hold out. 

For me, after I've done some journaling, I feel lighter and much more relaxed. Tarot journaling keeps my interest and makes the prospect of writing fun and fascinating. If someone like me who absolutely loves to write has trouble maintaining their interest in journaling, then you shouldn't feel bad if you get bored. Just find the method that's enjoyable for you, and then let yourself loose. 

It also helps to find a book for journaling in that inspires you. I'm currently loving my journal with a flexible vegan leather cover. It feels so good in my hands.