As children many of us would write stories to make sense of the thoughts in our heads, they could be as wild and whacky as our imaginations would allow! I wrote many stories, most of which were beyond adult understanding, some made me laugh and some made me cry.
Well, journaling is kind of the grown-up equivalent that can help us make sense of the pain and many thoughts in our heads.
Writing seems to be a dying art, but it is one of the oldest ways for humans to organise their thoughts, relieve stress, and calm the chatter in their heads.
Journaling can be done in a variety of ways, you don’t have to use ye olde pen and paper, you could use your computer, or notes on your phone, it doesn’t matter, the consistency is what counts, although personally, I love a beautiful notebook, but you do you.
Writing helps make sense of the seemingly endless pain of grief. It slows down your brain and helps you to organise your thoughts.
This is a judgement-free zone! please do not criticise or judge your writing, let the words flow, they are only for you.
Here are a few prompts to help you along the way:
– I know this feeling won’t last forever because..
-I feel most sad when..
-I smile when I remember..
-I believe in my ability to..
-If I could talk to you today, I would say..
-One good thing that happened today is..
-I can honour your memory by..
-Tomorrow I will try to..
-One way I can practice self-care is..
-Some of my grief triggers are..
-I cry when I remember..
-My toughest memory is..
-My biggest support is..
-If I could tell you one thing it would be..
-I believe in my ability to..
-When I wake up I think about..
-I can make myself feel less sad by..
-If I need help I can..
Give it a go if you haven’t already, it might just help.