Absolutely furious?
TRY Journalling
How many times have you pressed ‘send’ on a ranting email, post or tweet and then regretted it instantly? Tame your inner Mrs Angry by switching to a more low-tech way of venting your frustration; a nice pen and a blank journal page.
WHY SO GOOD? ‘Because the difference between a journal and a tweet is the difference between reflecting and reacting,’ explains journalling expert Tzivia Gover. ‘In a journal, we reflect in a private medium that’s just for us. It takes time to compose an entry and then we’re done; we close the book – literally. With emails, tweets and social media posts it’s all too easy to hit send. I like to say: “Keep a journal and keep your friends.” That’s because a journal is a place to pause so that what we then say to a single person or our social media audience is considered and comes from a mature and healthy place.’
WHERE TO START?
Don’t overthink this. Simply pick up a pen and a journal or notebook. If the blank page feels daunting, follow these easy first steps from Tzivia:
Set a daily goal to make the habit stick. Try five to 10 minutes for a couple of weeks. Anchoring your practice to something else (morning coffee, afternoon tea or pre-bed) will help make it part of your daily routine.
• Keep entries simple. Write down three things you did over the past 24 hours and how you felt about them.
• Forget perfection – it’s okay to miss a day (or several!) and you don’t need immaculate handwriting or spelling. Remember: you can’t fail at this. The pages are there whenever you want to reconnect.
• Still stuck? The main thing is to make journalling work for you. So blow off steam, make gratitude lists, describe dreams, even cut out and stick in inspirational quotes. ‘Studies show that when we write about something that has happened in detail, as well as how we felt, it helps heal our emotions, encouraging personal growth,’ says Tzivia.
• Tzivia Gover is author of Joy In Every Moment and The Mindful Way To A Good Night’s Sleep (both Storey); tziviagover.com
Keeping a journal is the low-tech way to vent