Journaling with a Twist

Tonight we start our new NORTHWEST High School group! On tonight's agenda will be some fun activities from a book called "Wreck this Journal". It's a fun and innovative way to express yourself and be creative.

Journaling can be an inspirational method for producing positive transformation and a release of feelings. However, it can be a difficult practice to maintain. It can also be emotionally taxing. There are a lot of times that you may avoid journaling because you just don't want to have to go through it all again. Sometimes the best coping skill is the one in which we can find some healthy distraction and relaxation.

We find that journaling doesn't always have to follow the general stereotype of keeping a nice leather-bound notebook and filling it with pages of daily thoughts, feelings and experiences. In fact, for teens this process is rather unrealistic. With all the school work and activities that teens have these days, it is hard for them to keep up with a daily journal. Plus, with facebook, twitter and instagram, the act of sharing one's feelings has drastically changed. Our thoughts and actions are no longer as private as they used to be.

So, how can we still find the benefit of journaling with the time and social constraints that surround us? Journal Prompts are the solution! Wreck this Journal and many other creative journal books provide so many possibilities for sharing your thoughts and feelings. There are a vast number of ways to interpret a journal prompt, so it doesn't limit the journaler. Take the prompt below as an example:

Teens really benefit from the opportunity to let their imagination be their source of inspiration and self-healing. Teens can also come up with their own journal prompts and share them with other friends or family members. Journaling doesn't have to be just pen and paper - it can be so much more!