Seeking tips to learn how to journal for mental health

[resistor]

Hi there! I'm really, really bad at identifying my emotions. I want to improve on this and feel learning to journal is a good way to start. 

So, how does one journal one's feelings? I have read so many articles online about tips; they all give practical advice - quiet location, regular times, relaxed mindset, writing prompts, etc ... none however explain how to read deeper into feelings beyond "happy" or "sad". That is the magic trick I'm looking for.

I know when I'm upset or depressed; I need to learn to teach myself to identify why I'm feeling the way I do. Does that make sense?

Please share your tips!

[indigo22]

Hi resistor,

I am really happy to hear you are trying to learn about your emotions in this way, it can be difficult at first.

My advice would be to first make a list of common emotions at the back of your journal, using 2 columns for positive and negative emotions. For example in the negative column - frustrated, angry, disappointed - in the positive column - amused, excited, uplifted etc. Include as many as you can to both lists. You can search the internet for most common emotions to fill your lists.

When you write in your journal and you are unsure of the emotion you are feeling, refer to your list and sit with the feeling for a few moments and see which of the emotions on the list best fits what you are feeling.

Eventually you won't need the list, but it will help you get in touch with your emotions at the beginning.

I hope this helps.

Take care,

indigo

[resistor]

Thanks Indigo, yes that is a good tip; indeed, I have a page like that in my journal already. I have trouble to distinguish many of the named emotions. For example under the "Enjoyment" column I have happiness, love, relief, contentment, amusement, satisfaction and excitement - apart from excitement and love the rest sound like the same emotion to me.

Perhaps my list has synonyms, looking at a feeling wheel (which I discovered today, and think will help guide me better than lists) we have: playful, content, interested, proud, accepted, powerful, peaceful, trusting and optimistic. Of those I know interested and playful but the rest all fall under "content". I guess I'm looking for tips to practice identifying these minute degrees of emotions that I don't fully graph.

[indigo22]

I understand where you are coming from now. So begin your lists with the emotions that you can connect with. When one of those doesn't feel or sound right, try doing a search to find an emotion that matches. One will stand out above the others and that is your intuition helping you. Your intuition usually is felt in your gut, when something is right, you will feel an expansion (relief or relaxation in the gut), when something is wrong, you will feel a constriction (tightening or uneasy feeling in the gut). There are so many emotions that seem to be similar as you have said, so start with a short list and add to it as you recognise a new one.

It will take time to recognise the emotions so don't put pressure on yourself to be accurate right away as that will defeat the purpose of what you are attempting to do, just get as close as you can to begin with.

I would be interested to hear how go with this if you feel like sharing.

indigo

[resistor]

That is a fantastic idea, thanks Indigo! I will start on a small list of known emotions today.

[Optical1]

Using an emotional wheel is helpful. So many emotions to choose from. You can see a psychologist to get help with it or search online for instructions 

[Happylife]

Hi Resistor,

Gratitude journal, it really helps us to see the bright side of things when we are feeling low or down. It can be a small, everyday moment that you are grateful for😊🙏

Take care

Happylife

[sbella02]

Resistor, 

As somebody who has been journaling for a very long time, I gravitated to this post. 

Using the emotion wheel is a really good idea. I also think that it can be really helpful to identify everything that's going on for you when you're feeling a certain way, in addition to this emotion wheel. For instance, what's going on in your body? Are there certain sensations that accompany your feelings (eg: shaking, sweating, crying)? Then, what kinds of thoughts are most prominent for you? What are you doing directly before these feelings occur, and what do you do as a result?

Drawing comparisons between these can help to identify why you may be experiencing certain feelings, or even where certain cycles of feelings begin. These can be helpful ideas to focus on in your journal, to give you a full picture of what certain experiences look like for you. 

Journaling also doesn't have to be writing. Colouring and drawing can also constitute journaling, whether or not you have a reference image. It can help you make sense of your feelings in a creative way, or even give you the space to either disconnect, or reflect on how you've been feeling. 

I hope this helps, I can also see that others have given some great advice here. Please feel free to keep chatting, we're here for you.

Take care, SB