I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I haven’t always kept a journal. I had tried a few times here and there, but it wasn’t a practice that ever stuck. Until two weeks after my Dad died. A trusted mentor made the suggestion to me: “Have you considered journaling?”
I’ve been journaling two decades - ever since I learned about Covey’s 7th habit: “Sharpen the Saw”
I generally used a blank spiral notebook. Now I enjoy a Vertellis Chapter one. The questions on gratitude and what’s going well/not well are especially helpful as I navigate grief.
I don’t know that I would have easily started it right after my wife Anne died. But having the skill in place has DEFINITELY helped me on this unwelcome and unexpected journey.
I attempted to start journaling countless times over many years. They key for me was to start extremely simply. Just write 1 sentence about what you are thinking or feeling. Once I did this daily for a couple weeks, I began to enjoy it so much that I wanted to write more. Now it is a staple part of my day and I enjoy every minute of it!
I journaled quite a bit during my teens and early 20s but drifted away from it. Grief over losing beloved pets through the years and then a good friend in August 2022 have made me pick my pen up again for a time. I find that writing in the form of "letters" to those I've lost is very helpful. But then my dad died suddenly in February 2023, and the words were gone. It wasn't until May that I could start writing again. Posts from you and The After Glow on Facebook were particularly helpful in giving me the language I needed to start processing everything. My journal is now full of personal thoughts, letters, copies of poems and Facebook posts, Bible verses...a hodgepodge of where my heart has been. I think that being able to start that process again was a key piece of helping me start to move forward more effectively in navigating the loss.
I've done some journaling since my son died almost 16 months ago. I'm not very consistent but I like having things written down that I can look back on. I've taken notes in my journal from books on grief that I've read as well as written down my thoughts regarding different things that have happened. My therapist encouraged me to write down what happened regarding my son's death because it was so unexpected and traumatic and that has helped as well.
I've tried journaling before but I've never stayed consistent. I'd forget about it and just never write anything down. I'm the type of person who holds everything in and then eventually explodes when something happens and then I seem like an awful person because I just let everything overflow. I'm currently trying to journal now. It's been more writing down prayers but I'm also trying to write my feelings out and my thoughts. I will say .. the times that I DID write out my thoughts and feelinfs.. it helped a ton. Having a well trusted person to also talk to about how you're feeling with no judgment is important too. My husband is definitely that person.
I journaled for a time. I wrote early in the morning when it was quiet. It became my time. It was very helpful, I started to look forward to it. It was unstructured, I wrote essentially what happened the day before. When I felt an emotion related to an event I expressed it. I filled the journal and ordered a new one. For some reason I lost the urgency to write. But it is there waiting for me.
I would encourage anyone contemplating journaling to do it. But you must write, do not use an app on your phone or tablet. iPhone in its latest update includes an app for journaling. As I wrote I could feel the words traveling down my arm on to the page. What was trapped in my mind was now out and on paper.
I’ve been journaling two decades - ever since I learned about Covey’s 7th habit: “Sharpen the Saw”
I generally used a blank spiral notebook. Now I enjoy a Vertellis Chapter one. The questions on gratitude and what’s going well/not well are especially helpful as I navigate grief.
I don’t know that I would have easily started it right after my wife Anne died. But having the skill in place has DEFINITELY helped me on this unwelcome and unexpected journey.
Peace to you.
Andrew
I attempted to start journaling countless times over many years. They key for me was to start extremely simply. Just write 1 sentence about what you are thinking or feeling. Once I did this daily for a couple weeks, I began to enjoy it so much that I wanted to write more. Now it is a staple part of my day and I enjoy every minute of it!
Journalling turned into a passion for writing and I'm here now with a publication. I'd recommend everyone to give it a go!
I journaled quite a bit during my teens and early 20s but drifted away from it. Grief over losing beloved pets through the years and then a good friend in August 2022 have made me pick my pen up again for a time. I find that writing in the form of "letters" to those I've lost is very helpful. But then my dad died suddenly in February 2023, and the words were gone. It wasn't until May that I could start writing again. Posts from you and The After Glow on Facebook were particularly helpful in giving me the language I needed to start processing everything. My journal is now full of personal thoughts, letters, copies of poems and Facebook posts, Bible verses...a hodgepodge of where my heart has been. I think that being able to start that process again was a key piece of helping me start to move forward more effectively in navigating the loss.
I've done some journaling since my son died almost 16 months ago. I'm not very consistent but I like having things written down that I can look back on. I've taken notes in my journal from books on grief that I've read as well as written down my thoughts regarding different things that have happened. My therapist encouraged me to write down what happened regarding my son's death because it was so unexpected and traumatic and that has helped as well.
I've tried journaling before but I've never stayed consistent. I'd forget about it and just never write anything down. I'm the type of person who holds everything in and then eventually explodes when something happens and then I seem like an awful person because I just let everything overflow. I'm currently trying to journal now. It's been more writing down prayers but I'm also trying to write my feelings out and my thoughts. I will say .. the times that I DID write out my thoughts and feelinfs.. it helped a ton. Having a well trusted person to also talk to about how you're feeling with no judgment is important too. My husband is definitely that person.
I journaled for a time. I wrote early in the morning when it was quiet. It became my time. It was very helpful, I started to look forward to it. It was unstructured, I wrote essentially what happened the day before. When I felt an emotion related to an event I expressed it. I filled the journal and ordered a new one. For some reason I lost the urgency to write. But it is there waiting for me.
I would encourage anyone contemplating journaling to do it. But you must write, do not use an app on your phone or tablet. iPhone in its latest update includes an app for journaling. As I wrote I could feel the words traveling down my arm on to the page. What was trapped in my mind was now out and on paper.