There’s something that I frequently recommend to clients that often results in some groans of complaint. That thing is journaling. Journaling is a very effective form of self reflection, and there is a ton of research pointing to it being very effective in improving mood and processing negative beliefs. I often meet some resistance from clients when I suggest this, but I can say that those who do their journaling homework typically come back saying that they found it to be helpful. Psychcentral calls journaling* an expressive coping mechanism that allows people to release feelings onto a page or document. The idea is to take something from inside of us and place it outside of us. This is actually why I tend to recommend not going back and re-reading previous journal entries. After a significant amount of time has passed (maybe a year) it could give people a sense of their growth if they read an old entry, but going back and re-reading something difficult that they recently expressed tends to have the effect of reabsorbing the feelings they’ve previously expressed.

Journaling helps with many different mental health* conditions. It alleviates anxiety because anxious thoughts tend to feed each other, causing people to ruminate or dwell on them. This can often feel like a snowball going down the hill picking up more snow and growing larger. By journaling, people have the opportunity to process the worries differently and even reflect on other ways to think about anxiety-producing situations. Journaling is also very helpful with depression and trauma when used correctly. Studies show that journaling about the activities of the day do little to relieve depression symptoms; however, writing about deeper emotional experiences and the accompanying thoughts can (over time) help reduce depressed mood and feelings. It can also help people on their path to recovering from trauma to write about the experiences that they’ve been through. This can be very triggering, so it would be much safer for people who have been through trauma to do this while undergoing counseling.

Gratitude journaling is another option, or one that can be incorporated into other forms of journaling. We’re wired to notice the bad more than the good. It’s actually more of a survival strategy passed down from our ancestors, and it likely helped them survive in a more primitive and dangerous world. Still, this negativity-bias can contribute to or worsen negative moods and feelings. Taking time to write down* what you’re grateful for can be a way of countering depressive thoughts and feelings. If you’ve had a terrible day that started with stepping on a lego and only went downhill from there, you might tell yourself that there’s nothing to be grateful for. There’s always something to be grateful for, though. You can be grateful for the breath you just took, the sun on your face, the rain that keeps plants alive, or this giant space rock that we all call home.

Psychology Today gives 10 reasons** why it’s a good idea to journal:

Similar to what has already been mentioned, journaling relieves stress and anxiety.
It helps to stimulate creativity and the development of original ideas.
It helps to improve memory, which would be especially beneficial for those who are at higher risk of age-related memory conditions.
Boosting self-awareness and personal growth.
As mentioned previously, it improves mental health and reduces the symptoms of a variety of mental health conditions.
It helps improve motivation.
It improves relationships by helping people to better understand the people in their lives as well as a reminder to be grateful for them.
It improves productivity by helping people create structure for themselves.
Finally, journaling can be a form of legacy that is left behind for descendants, should you choose to make it available for them.

Journaling is an effective tool for coping in the moment. However, the best effects of journaling are cumulative. Ongoing journaling on a regular basis* is significantly more effective than when it is used as an as-needed tool. Having said that, I would still tend to say that anything a person does with the intention of improving their life, physical health, or mental health is a good thing, even if it isn’t done regularly. An important thing to consider is what method works best for you. You might want a specific leather-bound journal and a fancy pen, you might want a spiral notebook and a broken pencil or cheap give-away pen, you might prefer to type into a hidden folder on your computer. It doesn’t actually matter what method you use, and if it’s necessary to experiment with different tools, that’s fine too. Your method of journaling, like your thoughts themselves, belong to you.

*https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-health-benefits-of-journaling#depression

**https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-minds/202301/10-good-reasons-to-keep-a-journal

I’ve been thinking a lot about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) recently, and how very misunderstood this diagnosis actually is. People tend to understand that ADHD causes people to be hyperactive, impulsive, and/or distracted. This is true, but ADHD also shows up in a variety of ways, and impacts people’s lives differently. There is a major genetic link that makes it commonly shared between parents and offspring as well as between siblings. These family members may not exhibit the same symptoms at all, though they will probably share some difficulties in areas that can be unexpected. They may quickly escalate to high levels of emotion, which can show up as anger outbursts, meltdowns, or extreme sadness. They may have a very hard time organizing tasks and responsibilities. They may appear to have terrible memories and forget what they were going to do once distracted. They also might be unexpectedly excellent and laser-focused in their attention when they do certain high-interest activities or hobbies. These sentences all started with “they may” because, though there are many similarities in how ADHD shows up, there are also many differences. If you’ve seen one person with ADHD, you’ve seen one person…others will certainly experience it differently.

I started this blog with the intention of sharing a variety of tips for people with ADHD, but as I was looking for resources I came across an article from the ADDitude Magazine website that listed 80 different tips from known experts. These experts were all folks who have ADHD and have found strategies that help them.

There were a variety of organizational* strategies, like: having a colorful wallet, hanging visual reminders on the door, electronic fobs that beep and help people find their keys, leaving things that go together in the same place (wrapping paper with the scissors and tape, etc), and leaving important notes in the most commonly reached-for pocket.

There was also a section on impulse control* strategies, like: a variety of methods for delaying impulsive purchases, turning an imaginary key in their pocket in order to lock their mouth against saying something that will cause problems, setting reminders to practice mindfulness, music, reading, phone apps for organization assistance, and also making sure to set down the phone at certain times.

Next was a section on getting tasks completed*: people use calendar notifications, taking pictures of important things with their phone, emailing themselves important things, and for some, using a paper/pen calendar works best.

Next was a section on parenting* which I found refreshing because kids who can be emotional and impulsive can often present a major challenge for emotional and impulsive parents. It was recommended that parents: Use a calm voice with their kids, take a break when needed, make sure their kids feel loved and valued, plan ahead for dealing with different problems, give commands and instructions in the similar ways each time, and remember not to punish a kid who also has ADHD for doing things that are symptomatic of having ADHD.

The next section was about interacting with the school* along with or on behalf of their kids: Be helpful and kind, keep open communication with teachers, praising the teachers who clearly make an effort to “get” their kids instead of focusing only on the classes where kids have the most difficulty, giving teachers tips about what is most effective with their child, prepping for homework through calming activities and utilizing spaces that work for their child’s attention span, getting a tutor, and allowing kids to shift between subjects as they feel their attention start to wander.

The last set of tips was for parents who have trouble getting their kids to sleep*: Giving their child Melatonin, dimming the lights in their rooms ahead of time, using calming music, having them take a warm shower or bath, reducing light, using white noise, reading, massage, quiet conversation, and visualization exercises for calming.

It was once thought that people would outgrow ADHD as they get older. This generally isn’t true, however. What does happen is that their brains mature, like everyone else’s, and they pick up tricks along the way that help them. Often with a diagnosis of ADHD, people also have the opportunity to find a medication that works as well. This can take some trial and error, but when people find an effective medication to help treat their attention, hyperactivity, organization, and emotional regulation they can couple this assistance with a variety of coping techniques which allow them to find success. Meds aren’t required for this success because there are many adults who are not medicated. Rather, success should be measured by creating a life that fits their natural talents along with utilizing strategies for overcoming some of their natural challenges.

*https://www.additudemag.com/dealing-with-adhd-80-coping-strategies/