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Anger and frustration are part of many people's lives. It can be expressed in negative outburts or turned into a positive. Journaling is a way to unleash anger without hurting others or yourself. It provides the freedom to express whatever is bothing you in your own words. It is a positive release of negative energy.
This technique work with individuals as well as groups and leads to better mental health. A person doesn't have to a be writer to participate. All you need is a pen and a blank journal. Then in your own words you can write down all the things which are wrong with your world.
Metaphor helps to release some of the anger. For instance, images such as closing the door on the past, pulling the shade between a negative force or person and also walking out into the sunshine of a new day are all useful.
This method also works with children, even if they can't write sentences. Their journals can be filled with drawings. They can e xpress their vulnerability through pictures which have meaning to them. They might even print the names of people who have caused their problems. Teachers and mental health professionals can use this technique to help the nonverbal express their inner most thoughts. The journal provides a safe environment. It is private. No one need share what is in the journal unless they want to.
To start this project give yourself or your group fifteen minutes to free write in the journals. Write whatever comes to mind. Don't worry about spelling or punctuation. These are private journals meant to be carthartic in nature. They are not to be graded or read out loud unless the writer wishes to share. The secret is to keep writing. Let the words flow from your heart to your hand. Do not use a computer. This works when there is tactile connection of hand and pen to paper.
The first fifteen minutes is a start. The journals should be written in every day, especially in the morning. They are not records of your daily activities, but of your feelings. Kept in a safe place from prying eyes, they provide a place to vent all the anger and frustration which has accumuluated. The more you write, the more at peace you'll feel. Holding in destructive feelings can lead to physical illness but releasing them on paper frees you from their power.
As unfair as life can be, we have to recognize we can't change other people. The only ones we can change are ourselves. It doesn't help us to harbor feelings of rejections. It eats away at us. Writing them down and giving them over to our journals can change our own attitudes, and give us the confidence to go on even through disappointment.
A journal can become a refuge where we rest and recover from the latest blows life throws our way. Start one today and see if you don't feel better.
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