Whether you are dealing with daily life challenges or major upheavals like the one we are all experiencing now, expressive writing can be a great way to work through these events. According to the Greater Good Science Center, writing a coherent narrative can help you feel more in control of your life and make your thoughts and feelings clearer. Some research studies suggest that daily expressive writing can improve your mental health and your performance in academics or work.
What you need:
-Printer or loose leaf paper for pages
-Scissors
-Cloth or thicker paper for cover
-Stapler OR twine
-Decorative tape (optional)
Step 1: Cut sheets of paper in half. You may use as many or as few sheets as you want.
Step 2: Fold each cut sheet in half.
Step 3: Cut the cloth or paper you plan to use for the cover slightly larger than the half sheets of paper.
Step 4a: Staple the spine near the top and bottom.
Optional: Tape over the staples with duct tape or decorative tape.
Step 4b: Cut a horizontal slit near the top and bottom of the spine. Thread some twine through the top slit, starting at the pages and pulling through to the cover. Loop the twine around the top edge of the journal and tie a knot at the top slit. Then thread the twine through the bottom slit, loop it around the bottom edge and tie a knot at the bottom slit. Pull the twine through the bottom slit again and then back through the top slit. Make a knot and cut off the excess twine.
Step 5: Write in your journal daily. Here are some prompts from Positive Psychology to get you started:
- What am I currently proud of myself for?
- What am I most grateful for this week?
- What is my biggest priority right now?
- Did I overreact to anything this week?
- How have I been feeling lately?
- How have I been sleeping recently?
- What was the best thing that happened today?
- What can I improve?