When you hear the word “journaling,” what do you think?
Is it writing down the events of your day? Describing your feelings about that stressful experience you had? Dumping all of your anxious thoughts on paper and in turn…out of your head? Whatever journaling looks like for you, is correct. When you journal it can help you sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, and help you understand your feelings. There is no certain way journaling should or should not be done, but it’s important to understand your intention when you begin journaling.
Along with intention, deciding when your journaling would feel best for you is crucial.
You want to make sure you have the time and energy for it when you sit down to begin writing, while also being in a head space that allows for open thought. So depending on how you’ll be using your journaling time, when is the best time to do it?
What does your usual morning routine look like?
Do you find yourself in a mindless list of activities to get done in order to get ready for your day? Or do you find yourself using your mornings to ground yourself into the present moment and set goals for your day?
Mornings, right before you even step foot out of your bed, can be a great time to journal. Taking a few moments to check in with your thoughts, emotions, and your body before you begin your day can be a game changer. Ask yourself… What kind of mood am I in right now? How does my body feel today? What’s stressing me out about my day and how can I set myself up for success?
You probably wake up and go about your day without asking yourself these questions and may find that you react to the world in ways that are reactive, instead of proactive.
Being in tune with our state of being from the moment we wake up can help us to have more productive, less anxious, and more goal-focused days.
But maybe the mornings don’t seem like a great time to journal for you, and that’s ok.
Some people prefer to journal at night, when they can sit and reflect on their experiences of the day. Maybe you want to identify how you were able to successfully get your opinions and thoughts across to your boss. Perhaps you want to identify how you could have more successfully coped with anxiety. Or maybe you want to simply record your day in order to reflect back in the future. 
Again… these are all perfect ways to journal.
Another strategy to journaling could be to purposely allow yourself time before bed to “worry.”
Have you ever found yourself tossing and turning in bed worrying about what you have to do tomorrow? Or maybe over the next week? This means you can more than likely benefit from implementing some “worry” time. To do this, allow yourself 5-10 minutes in the evening, or however long you feel you need, to sit and think about the things you feel will probably drift into your thoughts once you get into bed. The purpose of this is to write it down to assure ourselves we won’t forget, have time to identify ways to problem solve or plan for these various things, and to then give ourselves permission to put these feelings away for the night so that we can rest.
Another important aspect is to answer this question for yourself; “will I allow myself to go back and read old entries? Or do I leave what I’ve written alone and not look back?”
For some, you may feel you won’t benefit from looking back and only become more anxious, stressed or upset. For others, you may find looking back to be a way to track progress or reflect on the present with more clarity. Whether or not you choose to read old entries is entirely up to you, but setting this boundary from the beginning is always a good idea.
Journaling means different things to different people, and as long as it is helpful for you… you’re doing it right.
Knowing what you’re using your journaling time for can more clearly guide you in your process, and ensure you’re getting what you need out of it. Along with this, identifying the time of day that works best for you can help make your journaling time the most productive. Whether it’s at night, or the moment you wake up in the morning, it just needs to work for you. Just make sure that whatever your journaling time or style looks like, you have a firm decision on whether or not these entries are open to rereading in the future. Again, there is no wrong way to do it.
If you feel like you need more feedback or another way to process what you write, a therapist could be a good way to achieve this. So if you feel therapy would be a supportive way to process your journaling, or to find more ways to explore your thoughts, feelings or experiences, we are here for you!
Ready to Start Therapy in Florida?
Beginning the journey to your best self is easier than most of the things we’re all doing right now! Therapy does not have to wait. You can get the mental health support you need with a skilled therapist in St. Pete or with online therapy in Florida. To begin, just follow these simple steps:
- Contact us to request an appointment
- Meet with one of our experienced therapists.
- Get support & begin your journey toward mental wellness & connection today!
Other Mental Health and Wellness Services at ME-Therapy
At ME-Therapy, we believe in the importance of mental, emotional & physical wellbeing. Our therapists want to help your mind but also want to feed your soul. This means we take a holistic approach to mental health. In order to do this, we offer a wide range of mental health services in our St. Petersburg office and online including therapy for women, therapy for men, trauma therapy, therapy for anxiety, and holistic, spiritual therapy. For couples and relationships, we want you to know that our relationship therapists are here for you ALL. In addition to marriage counseling, we provide sex therapy, affair recovery counseling, and poly-friendly kink aware therapy.
