As adolescent girls, I’m sure many of us had diaries. I remember having a Hello Kitty one with a little lock on the side. I wasn’t very good at writing in it. I could never remember or figure out what to write about. But now journaling has become a way of life for me, a way to heal and work through major life events.

Journaling or writing down your thoughts on paper can be a very healing and healthy thing for anyone going through a stressful and emotional time. Journaling can also help you to see things differently once they are down on paper and you are re-reading them. It’s a safe place to share your thoughts, feelings, and reflections. Some of the benefits of journaling are:

• Positive impact on physical health– According to Physc Central,Studies show that journaling can help you maintain good physical health.



• Get to know yourself better- By putting your thoughts down on paper and re-reading them, you will see your thought process more clearly and learn what makes you happy and sad.



• Reduce Stress- Writing about your emotions – stress, anger, sadness – will help lessen the intensity of these emotions and will help you to “cool down.”

Journaling is a very individual process. You may wish to write daily, weekly, or just when you think you need to the most. There is no write or wrong way to journal.

As an expectant mother considering adoption, you can use your journal as a tool in making a decision. If you’ve already made the decision to move forward with an adoption plan, your journal can be a place where you can record the many emotions you will be feeling as you prepare to have your baby and send him/her home with the adoptive parents. Some birthmothers write in their journals and then plan to show them to their birthchildren later in life, but this is something totally up to you. Journals can be a very private place and you may not want others reading it.

Now if you are like me, you probably come to a blank when it comes to choosing a topic. Don’t stress over what you write about, just do it!

In case you are having a really hard time coming up with topics to write about, here are a few to get ya started:

• Your options – parenting or adoption



• List of pros and cons for both options



• Choosing the adoptive parents



• Recaps of your doctors’ appointments



• Dreams and hopes for your child’s future


• Day to day stress and emotions regarding making an adoption plan or a parenting plan


• Everyday joys (and the not so joyful times) being pregnant, such as hearing the first heartbeat, first ultrasound, etc



• How you told your friends and family you were pregnant and their reactions

A few tips to help you in the writing process:

• If emotions come up while writing, write about them, do not try to push them away.


• Make time to write. Everyone’s busy but you could take just a few minutes each day to write in your journal. Remember those benefits (listed up above) if you are still thinking you don’t have time!



• Don’t judge anything you are writing. This isn’t being graded, so just write and get those thoughts down on paper.



• Don’t worry about misspelled words or grammar mistakes. You’re not writing a novel, just recording your thoughts on paper for your own benefit.



• Don’t think too much. Just write what you feel and let intuition be your guide.

So go out and buy yourself a pretty journal, get a good pen, and start journaling. Or if you are a "techy" who'd rather write at the computer desk, then, turn on your favorite tunes if that helps, light a candle and type away. Either way - Happy Writing!

Resources used in this article:
Physch Central and Birthmother Journal