Journaling enhances happiness

CLARISSA Stein returned from an overseas trip with a broken wrist feeling isolated and disconnected.

She came across an online journal writing program and realised keeping a journal improved her wellbeing.

Ms Stein is now looking to pay it forward by conducting journal writing workshops in Dereel and Haddon.

“Journal writing can help with personal wellbeing through reflection on experiences and emotions,” she said.

Each class will start with 10 minutes of reading journal entries written by authors as a way of introduction

The workshops’ participants will then be invited to spend another 10 minutes writing in their personal journals.

“Those wishing to share their thoughts, by reading aloud, will be listened to without criticism,” she said.

“We will provide feedback based on our own non-critical common human experiences because connection within the group helps maintain motivation.”

Ms Stein believes journaling is a great way towards helping and enhancing self-care and well-being through meaningful conversation, personal growth, self-expression and mutual support.

She said she has always kept a diary of daily activities but spending time writing in her journal is more of a reflection of her sentiments and thoughts than list of things she’s done.

Traditional diary writing, where daily events and happenings are recorded from an exterior point of view differs from journal writing which offers an effective means of providing focus and clarity to issues, concerns, conflicts, and confusions.

“It is used by a lot of psychologists and is considered to be a method of suicide prevention,” she said.

“My workshops will run for an hour and will be limited to eight participants who should bring a medium sized notebook or journal and a pen with them.”

The Dereel workshops will be held at Dereel Community Centre, 14 Swamp Road, Dereel on the first Monday of the month commencing Monday, 5 August at 2pm. For bookings contact Ms Stein on 5342 2263 or email [email protected].

The Haddon workshops will be held at Haddon Community Learning Centre, 396 Sago Hill Road, Haddon, weekly commencing Thursday, 22 August at 2pm, cost it $5 per week and bookings are essential by calling the Centre on 5342 7050.