Vik runs a free maternal mental health support group in the North West. She has kindly let me share the following on how journaling has helped her.  You can find out more about Vik and her support group at ‘coffee, chill & spill’. 

 

“I’d read journaling was a good self care tool , so I gave it ago and it really helped!!
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It felt like a safe place to off load my true feelings and I always felt better for clearing my head a bit. Looking back at my first journal it is quite emotional, I felt very alone and isolated, and a lot of it doesn’t make much sense, other than I wasn’t being heard for the way I was feeling with PND, but using that little book, putting pen to paper and scribbling away helped me so much.
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It also taught me how important it is to look after yourself and to prioritise yourself first. It taught me to set small personal goals to promote my wellbeing and mental health, to live in the present and take things daily; don’t try to figure it all out in one go. .. ride the wave, as they say.
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It taught me Gratitude, something I now practice daily.
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I choose a different journal each year and this year I came across the 6 minute a day diary, it’s amazing. So excited about it already. (Got mine on amazon)
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I would highly reccomend journaling to anyone, especially if you’re struggling with something, or you’re goal setting, self reflecting, self improving. It’s an excellent way to keep track of process and keep focused. Remember you’re not born to be perfect, you’re born to be real and journaling captures that perfectly”.