Downloads & Assets

Journaling does more than simply record your day-to-day experience; it helps you organize your thoughts, process traumatic events, and find meaning through your lived experience. The many health benefits of journaling supported by science include reduction in symptoms associated with depression, anxiety, and trauma, improved memory, and increased immune functioning.

 You don’t even need to be a “good writer” to benefit from journaling. During this workshop we will explore best practices for journaling as self-care and spend some time writing and reflecting on a guided prompt.

Resources

Baikie, K., & Wilhelm, K. (2005). Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 11(5), 338-346. doi:10.1192/apt.11.5.338

Dimitroff, L. J. (2018). Journaling: A valuable tool for registered nurses. Am Nurse Today, 13(11), 27-8. Retrieved: https://www.myamericannurse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/ant11-Journaling-1016.pdf

Goldberg, N. (2005). Writing down the bones: Freeing the writer within. Shambhala Publications.

Mahalakshmy, T., Kalaiselvy, A., & Saya, G. K. (2020). Strategies to promote psycho-social wellbeing among health care workers during COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Health Systems and Implementation Research, 4(1), 11-16.

Pennebaker, J. W. (1985) Traumatic experience and psychosomatic disease. Exploring the roles of behavioural inhibition, obsession, and confiding. Canadian Psychology, 26, 82–95.

Pennebaker, J. W. (1997a) Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions. New York: Guilford Press.

Pennebaker, J. W. (1997b) Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process. Psychological Science, 8, 162–166.

Rollison, J., Etchegaray, J. M., & Bandini, J. (2021). Giving a Voice to Home Care Workers. Retrieved: https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/perspectives/PEA1000/PEA1079-2/RAND_PEA1079-2.pdf

Simpson, M. (2020). Gratitude Journaling as Intervention to Combat Nurse Burnout in Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Nurses. Retrieved: https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=nursing-msn

Schoutrop, M. J. A., Lange, A., Hanewald, G. et al (2002) Structured writing and processing major stressful events. A controlled trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 71, 151–157.

Stang, H. (2021). From Grief To Peace. CICO Books.