Journaling
“ When I ’ m able to give language to my emotions , it helps me to sleep better and improves my immune system and nerve function ”
Writing can trigger positive feelings
parent to do . It was during one of her therapy sessions that her psychiatrist suggested writing a journal .
Having turned putting her thoughts down on paper into a habit , she found it was not just good for her mental wellbeing , it also helped her physical health . When she sat down to write down all her worries , fears , and frustrations , it was like “ hitting the reset button ”.
“ When I ’ m able to give language to my emotions , it helps me to sleep better and improves my immune system and nerve function ,” she said .
She was told to use an evidence-based emotion regulation method to help her manage her emotions so that she would not become a victim to them . The first step was to describe situations that affected her while she tried to focus on facts and being as specific as possible .
The next step was to describe her thoughts in great detail , instead of suppressing and dismissing them as not a big deal . She had to allow them to flow honestly .
After this , she was told to challenge her thoughts by reframing the story , which she would do in her journal . She would ask herself how an influential figure would deal with such thoughts and emotions . What would Michele Obama say to her ? How would Sheryl Sandberg , the head of operations for Facebook , deal with the issue ? This method served as a process to “ really own your vulnerability .”
“ So through journaling , it really allowed me to understand and build healthy relationships with my emotions . Now , I see my emotions as being just like my neighbours .
“ During this time of Covid , anxiety and anger might come knocking on your door . I ’ ll just welcome them with a smile and ask , ‘ Anger , what are you trying to teach me today ?’ I would go through all these methods and write everything down into my journal ,” she said .
According to Lee , by journaling at a young age , she was able to identify her triggers and build resilience and emotional agility around them so that she stopped becoming a victim to her emotions . She was able to experience a happier childhood whereas in one of her earlier entries , she had written : “ I don ’ t know if I will ever experience happiness again .” So how should one get started with journaling ? First , she says , it ’ s important to understand why you feel the need to do so before you start journaling . Is it because you want to understand yourself better ? Do you want to set aside some time for reflection ?
The next step is to make it part of a regular routine . Without fully completing this step , it can be very easy to let the idea lapse and so run the risk of missing out on the mental and physical benefits of writing a journal .
“ I feel that persistence can help you get moving with a new habit ; but it then requires consistency to help you to keep at it ,” she said . “ At this point , knowing why you ’ re making all this effort will give you the willpower to stay consistent .”
Those who find the idea of filling a blank piece of paper daunting should start off small and build up over time . Journaling is like strengthening a muscle by exercising it . It only comes naturally to those whose journaling muscle is well-developed to start with .
A good way to start would be just to write down three things that you ’ re grateful for . Or even just write down a paragraph about how you ’ re feeling . You could label the feeling with just one word , but over time , as you become more used to defining thoughts and emotions , you could also start giving a score out of 10 to the intensity of each emotion .
“ I get asked all the time , ‘ How can I understand my emotions ?’” she said .
“ I tell them , if you label your emotions on a daily basis and also rate their intensity , you will also be increasing your emotional vocabulary . Doing so will help you to celebrate who you are and how far you ’ ve come during this process .” n
48 JUNE 2021 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com