How to Use Your Journal for Self-Therapy

The list for what a journal can do for you is long and extensive. Everyone uses their 
journal for different things, from gratitude journaling to recording your daily life. Another 
amazing benefit you get from writing in a journal is to use it for self-therapy.

This means you can help with difficult situations in your life by writing in your journal, 
just as you would when you talk to a therapist. It doesn’t replace professional help, but it 
can be an amazing tool.


When You Need to Talk About Your Feelings

This is one of the main reasons people seek out professional therapy, so it makes 
sense that you can use your journal for the same thing. Use your journal to write about 
how you are feeling, vent your frustrations, and try to come to terms with anything you 
are struggling with. Use your journal as a way to dump all those thoughts and feelings, 
get them out of your head, and work through them.


To Work Through a Difficult Situation

Are you dealing with something stressful or hard in your life? This is exactly when you 
should be using your journal the most. Often times, you need a way to navigate through 
different thoughts you have about something. Keeping it all in your head makes you feel 
like you are going in circles, but you never really get anywhere.


Making a Hard Choice

Sometimes all you need to make a difficult or complicated decision is to get some 
perspective. That is what a journal can help you to get, simply by talking (writing) it out. 
Journaling helps you find clarity about these types of decisions, whether that means just 
writing about the decision and which direction you’re considering, or making a pros and 
cons list.


Finding the Next Direction in Your Life

Another similar way to use a journal for self-therapy is when you’re not sure about the 
direction of your life right now, and what you want to focus on next. This isn’t 
necessarily something you figure out with one journal entry, but over time. Start using 
the journal every day to write whatever you are thinking or feeling at the time, and make 
sure to be honest about how you feel about your life, and what other things you might 
want to explore. One day, you will have an epiphany thanks to your journal.


When You Want to Forgive Someone

If you are struggling with a friendship or relationship because of something they did, 
forgiveness is really important. The hard part is knowing how and when to forgive. Use 
your journal to work all this out. Detail what happened and why it was so hurtful to you. 
Write about why you want to forgive them, and what is currently holding you back. This 
alone can give you the clarity you need.


