Keeping a Personal Journal

One of the most useful means for long-term self-development is the systematic use of an ongoing workbook, diary or journal. Such a journal, thoughtfully done, can provide a structure to assist us in paying closer attention to our lives and in evoking and developing our understanding of ourselves and others. It acts as a "reflector" of the inner course we are charting day by day, and can give us the stimulation and support which many seek from the outside world.

If you're interested, you can purchase a dedicated grief journal that includes guided prompts and space for reflection. Many people find that having a special journal set aside for their grief feels comforting and intentional.

That said, you don’t need a special journal to begin this process. A simple notebook, sketchpad, or even loose sheets of paper are just as meaningful. What matters most is that your journal feels safe and personal to you—whatever form that takes.

There’s no right or wrong way to journal through grief. The act of showing up for your feelings is what counts.

About Journaling

• The purpose of journal writing is to offer yourself the opportunity to reflect upon the meaning and the significance of events in your life as they apply to your inner self
• The focus of journal writing is on you. This focus can assist the unfolding awareness of new meanings, values, and inter-relationships which you may be discovering in yourself and the world
• The act of presenting your ideas in print forces you to formulate and clarify your thoughts and their accompanying feelings, thus enhancing the power and precision of your own thinking
• When you make the move from simply thinking about something to actually writing it down or typing it out, you are increasing your commitment to your own conscious unfolding
• Writing forces you to discriminate and to choose which of your thoughts are important enough to be documented, thus getting you in better touch with your sense of values, feelings, and struggles
• Once you record your ideas on paper, you do not have to be pre-occupied with thoughts of losing them. The writing "makes room" for new avenues of thinking that you may not have had time to previously consider
• Writing is an effective yet harmless way of "letting off steam" by providing you with a "fully accepting friend" who allows you to discharge your tensions and to vent all of your powerful and disruptive emotions

Ideas

• In addition to the narrative written material about your own thoughts, feelings and observations, you may also choose to include drawings or other visual materials, such as dreams, fantasies, symbols or diagrams that are useful in clarifying or expressing your ideas
• Illustrations from magazines, newspapers or photographs which capture the thought or image you are writing about
• Personally meaningful quotations you may have read or heard

Journal and Drawing Prompt Ideas

• “My favorite memory of you is…”
• “Today I am really missing…”
• “If I could say something to you, I would say…”
• “Sketch a memory with your loved one.”
• “Something that helped me cope today was…”
• “To be more compassionate toward myself, I am willing to try…”
• “How has grief changed me?”
• “What does grief feel like in my body today?”
• “Draw what your grief feels like.”
• “Create a visual timeline of your grief journey.”
• "What glimmers have I noticed today?"
  • Glimmers are small, often fleeting moments of peace, connection, or beauty that offer a sense of safety or hope, even in the midst of deep grief
• “What do I need most right now—emotionally, physically, spiritually?”
• “What are some dreams or goals I’d like to pursue in their honor?”
• “Write a mantra or healing affirmation you can return to when grief feels overwhelming.”