When life throws us curveballs that pose significant impact on our lives as grief does, it can often leave us feeling helpless and overwhelmed. What do we do with the thoughts and feelings that accompany trauma and loss? We may not always feel comfortable sharing our experiences with other people for various reasons however we need to be able to find an outlet that allows us to manage our grief in a healthy manner. Loss and trauma imprints some form of emotional, physical, and psychological distress that will seep into all aspects of our lives if we do not honor and express it.
Journaling is a very simple, yet powerful tool that can allow us to identify and process our grief experiences in a confidential and safe way. Journaling can also serve as an instrument to tell our story, which we can choose to look back and reflect on in order to uncover insight to our struggles and growth from them. Like grief, everyone’s experience will be different which means that there are no rules or right or wrong way to journal. However you choose to write or express yourself is up to you.
Journaling can be done in either formal or informal manners depending on our needs and preferences. Some of us may prefer to just write down words or phrases that come to mind whereas others may prefer to follow some type of structure or prompt. Some people establish a ritual in which they journal at the same time each day or week whereas other people carry their journal with them and use it whenever it seems relevant to them. Since journaling is for you and about you and your experiences, establish your desires and expectations of it based on that.
There may be times when we experience a block or feel stuck in how we can express our thoughts and feelings so here are some prompts related to grief that may help get the juices flowing or may be beneficial to those of us who prefer structure to our writing:
Today I feel…
I remember when…
What I have learned is…
My life has changed by…
The first time I…
My support system includes…
What brings me joy is…
The most difficult time of day is…
My fondest memory is…
I am grateful for…
Like most tools and coping skills, the more we practice and use a journal to express and process our experience, the more likely we are to reap the benefits of it.