3-4-5 Program: Journal therapy
How to do it
This is usually started at the beginning of the process. It is where you really LOOK at everything. Try to listen closely to what your internal signals are. Listen to your body and your feelings and the responses you have to people and events throughout the day. Really look at what your thought process is driving you to do and feel - and either write it all down or verbally remember the most important discoveries. That will help with forming your most important Affirmations.
Get a notebook or use your computer or other place to write your personal thoughts and start the journaling process. Make sure it is secure and safe from being read so there is no stress about being honest with yourself.
Journal writing is used with a therapist as well. You can take the insights and questions you get from your writing and discuss them with your therapist if you want.
Start noticing when you feel anxious or have a negative emotion or a bad reaction to someone (see note at left). Most people already "know" what their deep seated issues are, they simply can't say them until they are discovered in a step by step process. When you have an agitated feeling or sense of anxiety, write down what is happening at that moment. You will start to see patterns after doing this for a few days or weeks. Follow the trail of that information.
This is the 'action' information. It is where we figure out what to work on in our Affirmations.
Sometimes what we learn is something we already 'know' but can't say. Other times people really 'discover' something hidden in the unconscious and can then make an adjustment or simply accept or process it. Pin-pointing the real issue is the key.
There is another benefit to writing. From a study published in 2015: "It is likely that writing attenuates the burden that worries place on working memory, thus providing individuals an opportunity to reevaluate the anxious and stressful expression in a manner that reduces the necessity to worry altogether." *
Key idea
Thoughts, feelings and beliefs become more clear or can be discovered with conscious reflection.
The physical act of writing can relieve psychological pain.
Write consistently - notate your ideas, thoughts, beliefs, feelings, responses, dreams. Exploration should show you what to work on.
Journaling Exercise #1
Inventory
The exercise below will help you get started to reduce anxiety. It will guide you in gathering the important information about yourself and your life as you get into the habit of writing if this is new to you. If you do not already know exactly what to work on, take the information you get and use it in the affirmations you will write for yourself soon. For those who already know exactly the source of their anxiety or depression, the point of these exercises is to increase the emotional strength, knowledge and confidence to begin or continue engaging in other treatments, if needed.
After this you will write free-form for yourself whenever you can (daily if in an anxiety spiral) and use the thoughts and feelings you notate to guide you to focus on your real problems.
Or just vent your feelings. Sometimes your journal/log entry will just be angry yelling as you vent at the page instead of at a person or animal. If it turns out that your ENTIRE log is nothing but angry yelling, then you know something more about yourself right there. For it to be of use to you, it should be more than venting.
RULE: Venting should be kept to no more than 30% of what you write.
First log entry: Inventory
This is a process of exploration and discovery - always be mindful of the fact that it is private and internal. Honesty is key.
Start with the following questions and then proceed to make up and answer as many additional questions as you can think of. These writing exercises are more or less productive depending on how much you put into it.
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS :
What is the best part of my life?
Do I like my job?
Why or why not? Explain:
Am I happy in my relationship?
Why or why not? Explain:
Is my relationship feeling 'healthy' and positive for me?
My health is
My environment at home or work is ______________ (filthy, harsh, lovely, neutral, drab, beautiful, improving, deteriorating).
I have beauty in my life in the form of
Am I really able to handle all the stress I have in my life?
Am I able to take care of all these things and myself?
Life would be better if
I can count on
I love
I know
My dreams are to
I have accomplished
I believe that I'll feel better if
What do I feel?
What will make me feel better?
I started this because
I am concerned about
I am grateful for
Intermediate Journaling Exercise #2
What is my worldview?
Write down your worldview using the questions below, keeping the purpose in mind: you are learning something about yourself to be used for self-improvement. There are no right or wrong answers. Answering honestly will encourage introspection and growth, therefore, trying to answer in a false way to impress or gain approval will defeat the purpose. No one has to ever see what you write but you.
Put what you write away for a week then come back and read it. Is it really what you believe? It is really how you operate in the world? Are there areas that could be strengthened or need to be changed? Did you notice something that came as a surprise?
View of the world:
What are the rules of life?
What is my place in the world?
How do I see myself in relation to my past experience? (I'm a winner, a survivor, a victim, a loser, a hero, etc.)
How do I see myself in relation to other people?
How do I see myself in relation to my career?
How do I see myself in relation to my family?
How do I see myself in relation to my race?
How do I see myself in relation to my country?
How do I expect to accomplish my goals and objectives?
How do I expect to be treated? (Not how I want to be treated. How I think others actually treat me.)
How do I expect to live?
How do I feel about change and loss?
Who and what do I expect to help my efforts in life?
Who and what do I expect to hurt my efforts in life?
What is my relationship to my body? (I care for it, I abuse it, I don't think about it, I'm obsessed with it, I let it go, etc.)
What will my old age look like?
What will the earth be like after I'm gone?
What
How
What if