A practice that requires few resources or expertise, journaling offers you the space to reflect, reveal and release whatever you’re harboring, and heal whatever is hurting.

Holding onto pain can lead to bitterness, resentment, anxiety, fatigue, chronic illness, debilitating diseases and feelings of discontent and disconnection.

As a holistic nurse, I’ve witnessed those who’ve experienced traumatic events and were left speechless. And others, in an effort to keep everything in them from falling apart, simply refuse to allow words to depart from their lips.

In these moments of heartache and despair, being handed a pen often feels safer and doable, giving you a simple tool to begin clearing your mind and mending your wounds.

As both an art form and healing practice, journaling effectively offers you the space to reflect upon and capture life’s memorable moments and let go of painful experiences and broken identities.

Because let’s face it, as modern women, we must do the often challenging work of surrendering our pain instead of suppressing or suffering from it, expressing and exercising our faith to create space to be fully healed.

A practice that only requires you to be honest and vulnerable with yourself, journaling can help you work towards the root cause of what you’re experiencing and why, breaking open the pathway to your healing and transformation to take place.

Some of the immediate therapeutic benefits of journaling include:

• Alleviating stress
• Improving immune function
• Boosting spiritual connection
• Lowering blood pressure
• Enhancing mental focus
• Healing faster and more thoroughly

So simply begin to write. Journal what currently is, and the vision for the healing you desire to take place.

From this space of honesty with self and God, continue to release your heart’s desires, resting in the wholeness and healing your relationship with Him has made available to you.

Here are journaling prompts to help you deepen your healing:

Personal

• Do you think you’ve failed yourself in one way or another?
• How can you begin to forgive yourself?
• What secrets are you holding onto and what harm are they causing?
• Are you willing to uncover the sources of your pain? Why or why not?
• Do you examine mistakes that you’ve made from a place of compassion or judgment?
• What do you need to forgive your younger self for not knowing?
• What do you need to know how to do, or learn more about? How is not knowing/learning holding you back?
• What anger or frustrations are you holding onto and why?

Relationships

• Who do you need to forgive and why?
• What experiences have you had with others that you believe you’re still suffering from?
• Who have you hurt and why?
• How can you mend the harm that you’ve caused others to experience?
• Are you upset with God about something that has taken place in your life? Why?
• Who do you want to help you in your life? What’s stopping you from cultivating this relationship?
• What are some things that you like about yourself that others seem to criticize you about?

Situational

• What situations are taking place in your community, country or the world that leave you hurting or confused?
• How can you contribute to the healing and suffering you see in a positive manner?
• What do you need to let go of that you have no control over?
• What fears arise from external conditions that are out of your control?
• Which external circumstances cause you to experience the most stress?
• How can you use your hurt and pain to change situations and/or help someone else?

Whether the wounds that need your attention are deep or superficial, journaling is a balm, helping you soothe and sort through what’s present, and position you for the future.

May you allow the Lord to use the gift of journaling to break what has you bound. To mend what’s currently broken. To breathe life into dying situations. And to bring love, light and joy into dark and discouraging situations.