Creative Journaling

Below is a description of journaling effects, written by Katherine B.:

"One strategy we used in our research was gratitude journaling, an exercise that seeks to reframe the writer’s mindset by helping them remember the positive in their life during times of stress. We met with Mrs. Morris-Inoa, an expert on journaling and the de-stressing power it holds. At our first professional development workshop, we gave each faculty member a sheet of paper and asked them to fill the whole thing with words and pictures of the things they’re grateful for. The first things that came to mind were the typical ones.  Run of the mill.  Family, friends, pets, ice cream, internet. It could be different for each person, but the answers follow the same lines. However the more you write, the more surprising the answers get. You might realize something you’ve been fixating on for weeks without even realizing it, and how much it’s stressing you out - or if it’s the only thing keeping you from snapping in half.  You might realize how something had a much bigger place in your life than you ever thought, or that it barely affects you. But the point of journaling is that it reframes your mindset, and gets you back into a healthy point of view that leaves you ready to take on the world."