If you have ever been to therapy, you may have been encouraged by your therapist to journal. “Why,” might you ask, "is journaling so powerful?" Researchers have found that the act of journaling improves your mood. If you are tired of feeling emotionally tired, perhaps it's time to give journaling a try. What do you have to lose?

Don't have a journal? No worries! Simply find a note pad, sticky note, tablet, phone, or computer and start jotting your thoughts down. If what is stopping you is your belief that you need to go buy a fancy lock and key diary, do not let that get in your way. You do not even have to keep your journal entries. Some people find it therapeutic to burn or throw away what they have written, to allow themselves to move on. While others enjoy looking back on their entries. There is no right or wrong way to journal. You do not even need to necessarily write- you can journal can by drawing, writing poetry poetry, collecting quotes, or even scrapbooking from magazines. Journaling isn't about where or how you express yourself, it is simply the act of expressing. Ready to get started? Feel free to use these helpful prompts below!

1. 5 things I am grateful for today…

2. Write a letter from the viewpoint of a scar.

3. What are some goals you want to reach? How are you reaching them today? What can you do tomorrow? What is stopping you, or getting in the way?

4. Today I feel…

5. Critical Thoughts vs Compassionate Thoughts (on one side write the critical thoughts your struggle with, and on the other side write the compassionate thought of the adjacent critical thought.

6. I am not my story… (write a story and share it with someone else, if you choose, to come to realize that this story is not who you are, but merely something that occurred.)

7. Gather 10 Affirmations about yourself and life. (Examples of affirmations are: I am enough. May I be happy. May I be healthy. I am capable.)

8. I feel my best when… (What are you doing at your best? Who are you with? What does this feel like in your body?)

9. I feel my worst when… (What is going on when you are at your worst? Is there a specific thing you or another person(s) are doing?

10. My favorite self-care things to do are…

11. Reflect on your support system- Who are some people or groups of people who provide support for you?

12. Write/express about different emotions (Anger, Envy, Fear, Joy, Sadness) Where do you feel them in your body? What is going on when you feel them? When was the last time you felt them?

13. The Miracle question: write or draw how you would like your life to be if you woke up tomorrow, and a miracle had occurred. Who would you be with? Where would you be? What would you be doing? Try to keep this as realistic as possible.

14. Write a letter of forgiveness to yourself or someone else.

Remember to write a disclosure on your first page, letting people know that this is your property and they can only read it when you choose to let them. It is common for people to share with their therapist what they have done in their journals, but it is always your choice with whom you choose to share your intimate thoughts and feelings. Give journaling a try, and good luck on your adventure!