Mental Health Awareness Month

May 2017

Good Evening Blog Followers, Readers & Visitors ~

We are discussing Mental Health this month, and we are back here to provide you with tips and suggestions for keeping your own personal Mental Health Journal.

If you are familiar with keeping a Journal or a Diary, then this will just be an overview for you, and in some cases, will give you something a little extra to consider.

Many of the Readers and Followers of this Blog are Authors, aspiring authors, Emerging Authors, Writers, Poets, and those who love to read literary works.  Journals are the Writer's best friend!

When you're thinking about what to write . . .

During this month, we are going to be making great use of our Journals.  For those of you who do not keep a daily Journal or Diary, you may be thinking about what to write.  Well, for the sake of your mental health, why not try something new ~ think about any of the following topics that resonate with you . . .

1)    Stress

2)    Depression

3)    Narcissism

4)    Anger

5)    Mood Swings

6)    Eating Habits ~ Binge Eating ~ Diet

7)    Addictions

8)    Psychology

9)    Psychopathic behavior

10)  Forgetfulness

11)   Procrastination

12)   Sleep Disorder

13)   Insomnia

14)   Heart Issues

15)   Sociopath

16)   Psychosis

17)   Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

18)   Bipolar Disorder

19)   Antisocial Personality Disorder

20)  Drug Abuse ~ Alcoholism

21)   Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)

22)   Schizophrenia

23)   Emotional Stability or Instability

24)   Anxiety

25)   Nervousness or Restlessness

26)   Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

27)   Crying

28)   Mental Breakdown

29)   Paranoia

30)   Psychopathic Personality

31)    Rage

32)   Delusional Disorder

33)   Alzheimer's Disease

34)   Forgetfulness

35)   Parkinson's Disease

36)   Multiple Sclerosis

37)   Dementia ~ Dementia with Lewy Bodies

38)   Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease

39)   Alertness

40)   Callous and unemotional traits (CU) ~ Lack of Empathy

41)   Despondency ~ Loss of Hope or Courage

42)   Grief & Bereavement

43)   ADHD ~ Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

44)   OCD ~ Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

If none of the above 44 items resonate with you, then write about something else that concerns you at this time.  It could be your marriage or divorce, or your children -- their health or education, your parents and their care, financial matters, loss of a job or home, or any number of issues that could be affecting you mentally or emotionally.

Another great tool for you to use is a personalized Mental Health Journal such as the following . . .

Online Mental Health Tracker Journal

Create your own using One Note

(Microsoft Account)

One of the ways to deal with any overwhelming emotion is to find a healthy outlet in which to express yourself, which makes a journal a helpful tool in managing your mental health.  Journaling can help:

• Manage anxiety
• Reduce stress
• Cope with depression

Journaling helps control your symptoms and improve your mood by:

• Helping you prioritize problems, fears, and concerns
• Tracking any symptoms day-to-day so that you can recognize triggers and learn ways to better control them
• Providing an opportunity for positive self-talk and identifying negative thoughts and behaviors

When you have a problem and you're stressed, keeping a journal can help you identify what’s causing that stress or anxiety.  Then, once you’ve identified your stressors, you can work on a plan to resolve the problems and, in turn, reduce stress.

Keep in mind that journaling is just one aspect of a healthy lifestyle for better managing stress, anxiety, and mental health conditions.  To get the most benefits, be sure you also:

• Relax and meditate each day.
• Eat a nutritious, balanced diet.
• Exercise regularly—get in some activity every day.
• Treat yourself to plenty of sleep each night.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs.

Use your journal to make sure you follow these guidelines daily.

How to journal

Try these tips to help you get started with journaling:

• Try to write every day. To encourage yourself to write in your journal regularly, set aside a few minutes every day.
• Make it easy. Keep a pen and paper handy at all times so that when you want to jot down your thoughts, you can. You can also keep a journal in a computer file.
• Write whatever feels right. Your journal doesn't need to follow any particular structure.  It's your own private arena to discuss whatever you want.  Let the words flow freely without worrying about spelling mistakes or what other people might think.
• Use your journal as you see fit. You don't have to share your journal with anyone.  If you do want to share some of your thoughts with trusted friends and loved ones but don't want to talk about them out loud, you could show them parts of your journal.

Keeping a journal helps you establish order when your world feels like it’s in chaos.  It helps you get to know yourself by revealing your innermost fears, thoughts, and feelings.  Look at your writing time as personal relaxation time, a time when you de-stress and wind down.  Write in a place that's relaxing and soothing—maybe with a cup of tea.  Look forward to your journaling time, and know that you're doing something good for your mind and body.

Also remember that if you purchase a decorated Journal, or decorate a blank cover Journal to suit your personality and your tastes, you will more than likely be more than happy to run to use it!

Decorated Journal

You should be running to Journal now!

We'll see you back here for our next exciting Blog Session, and don't forget to bring your Journal along ~

Peace, Love & Light,

 René

©Copyright - René Allen - MAY 2017 - All Rights Reserved