Journaling For Teens

Have you ever had that feeling that your brain just won't shut off. There are a thousand different thoughts and feelings running through it and you just can't focus? I know I have, so what do you do? How can you let it out and get back to business, or sleep? Try a Brain Dump.

Brain Dumps are where you take 2-5 minutes to journal everything that is currently going on in your mind. Even though many people think of journals as simply writing down your thoughts and feelings, in Executive Function Coaching this month we will be looking at how they actually can do so much more!

Journaling can be done on paper or electronically. It can happen in many ways; writing, drawing, collages, sketches, pictures, clippings, photos, painting, coloring and more. It helps with awareness of events, feelings, and also promotes communication skills, and the realization of self interests, possibilities, and self awareness.

Some of my favorite journals for Executive Function Issues are The Happy Journal, and Bullet Journaling.

5 Reasons Your Child Should Journal

JOURNALING HELPS REDUCE STRESS LEVELS

Taking some time each day to write in a journal can help a teen keep his or her stress levels manageable. journaling requires the person to stop what they are doing and focus on what is happening at that moment. To practice mindfulness by Putting down their smartphone and forgetting about schoolwork or personal issues. This is a break that all people need from time to time.

JOURNALING CAN RAISE A TEEN'S SELF AWARENESS

They might feel pressured by peers and family members to follow the same belief system, and to accept the status quo. Only when a teen sits down, puts away the constant pull of electronics, and puts pen to paper do they really have the time to reflect and write down their thoughts.

JOURNALING CAN HELP TEENS PROCESS STRONG EMOTIONS

Taking some time to write down what they’re feeling and processing those feelings can help your teen get through difficult Times. Your teen might also be able to notice some patterns when it comes to these emotions. For example, if they notice that they’re often writing about their sadness during the winter and that sadness lifts once the days begin to lengthen again, they might realize that their moods are affected by the seasons. This is called seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. They may also notice that they feel angry and irritable when they need to participate in a social function; in this case, they might have a bit of social anxiety.

JOURNALING CAN RAISE A TEEN'S GRADES

any writing practice can raise a person’s vocabulary, syntax, spelling, and general language usage. This can, in turn, lead to better grades.

JOURNALING CAN HELP A TEEN SOLVE PROBLEMS

While thinking through problems can help you learn to solve them, there are some issues that really require the right side of the brain to solve well. This is because the right side of the brain is associated with creativity. Writing in a journal can help unleash that creativity, and this different way of thinking about events and situations can lead to problem-solving prowess.

Check out this video on how to create a Bullet Journal!