The Café for Teens- Do you ever hear great things about journaling, but you are not quite sure if you are ready to hop on that bandwagon? Well, here are some things consider about this form of coping. First off, like any new thing, its going to feel a little awkward in the beginning. An awesome thing about this is there are no specific rules. Really. Not unless, you were assigned. Otherwise, this is for you and how ever you express yourself best. This could be in the form of a list, a sketch, a literary stream of consciousness without a care for punctuation nor grammar to hold you back. The goal can be just to get thoughts OUT of your head. Many feel so much better when they do. Its like cleaning out the cobwebs of old thoughts that aren't helping you right now.
Are you concerned about what do write in? Well, some artists grab the nearest thing, before the idea or inspiration fades. It could be a coffee shop paper napkin, palm of the hand -preferably your own, or a little notebook you keep with you. Is tech your thing? There are are many journaling and memo apps out there, even ones that come with your smart device or computer. Try audio recording. I like to use the voice memo app on my smart watch. Yep, it looks a little goofy, but so do speakerphone conversations from afar.
Are you are ready start, but not sure where to begin? Do you want to boost your mood? Start with three positive thoughts. What is going well? Then done. Stuck again? Then repeat. Name three things going well. Feel distracted? Write about what is grabbing your attention right now. As you get into it, you may find certain times of the day offer a great fountain of thought and reflection.