What Is it All About?
Students explore journaling about their feelings in order to understand situations and how they might respond to them.
Why Do It?
It is important to understand your feelings and what influences them. Keeping a journal can help you understand your emotions shift over a period of time and ways to manage your emotions and responses as needed.
How Do We Do It?
Remind students that an important part of mental health is understanding their feelings and why they occur. Explain that it is common for people to sometimes feel overwhelmed with their emotions and become immobilized by their fear or sadness. Knowing why you feel upset can provide valuable information, possibly telling you that you need to change something in your life.
Maintaining a journal can help students explore their inner world.
Students begin the process of keeping a daily journal. If they recognize that they need or want to change something in their life, they can then create a plan of action.
Share with students a few prompts to consider using for journal entries:
- Describe a hero. It can be either someone you know or simply qualities of a hero.
- Describe the perfect friend.
- List one of your pet peeves and write about why it annoys you.
- What is courage?
- What is something that you appreciate about your parents/caregivers or family?
- What is your favourite activity? Who do you do it with? Why do you think you enjoy it so?
- What was your most difficult life experience?
- What was your most joyous life experience?
What Else Do We Need?
- Journals
- Online journaling applications
- Paper
- Writing utensils
How Do We Get Creative?
Have students create their own journal prompts, which they can share with others if they choose.
Have students journal using video or other technologies. Be mindful of safety recommendation from CMHO (Children's Mental Health Ontario) regarding images and self-disclosures. Help students recognise and understand their feelings and reminders. Supply a list of whom they can ask for extra support and where.
Adapted from: Alberta Education. Mental Health Matters. Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/mental-health/information-and-resources/everyone/mental-health-supports/
