Attachment theory, a concept conceived by psychiatrist John Bowlby, says that infants form different bonds with their primary caregivers. The quality of these bonds depends on the readiness of the caregiver to respond to the baby’s needs. According to Jacobs, naming a feeling “encloses the feeling instead of allowing it to enclose you like an invisible vapor.” It also can “contain and quiet a feeling.”

Some children may need extra support when they are filling this in. You can give them prompts to help them, such as “how did you feel today? Were you happy or sad? Did you feel upset or angry at all today?” This will help to jog their memory and remind them of how they felt. Try to write every day. Set aside a few minutes every day to write. This will help you to write in your journalOne way to practice this idea is to write about a good experience. Not only does this remind you that there’s life beyond bad feelings, but it also serves as an emotional anchor, according to Jacobs. To help children reflect on and understand their emotions, they can fill out this mood journal template. They can fill it out at the end of every day to help them reflect. In one activity, Jacobs suggests readers think of an emotion and describe these three parts. For instance, when you’re sad, what thoughts, memories or statements come to mind; what sensory experiences do you have; and what physical sensations do you experience? Children have the chance to write down the things they'd like to do each day, the good things in their life and the best thing that happened each day. There is also a different question every day for kids to reflect on, such as what they would like to change in the world. What other Wellbeing Journal resources can I use?

Children who shut down during drawing or writing might not enjoy this as a way to process their feelings. So often, emotions get tangled up inside and cause confusion. Especially when there are a lot of them, all vying for attention.What could you have done differently, do you have any regrets, and if so how can you forgive yourself? Don’t be discouraged, though. Continue journaling and fine-tuning your action plan to find what works best for you. Related: How to Start a Personal Journal For Beginners {With Easy Journal Prompts!} How journaling helps emotional pain 1. Identify and clarify Give your students the tools they need to learn about journal writing and all it entails with these Blank Journal Writing Templates. On the mood journal template, the children can circle whether their emotions were positive or negative. There is also space to write about their emotions.

Working on improving your mental health with a mood journal doesn’t necessarily mean that identifying your triggers or behavior patterns will lead to immediate solutions. Seeing results may take a while. Maybe it wasn’t really the mess your kids left in the kitchen that prompted that after-dinner blow up, for example, but the stressors you experienced at work that day. With all of that being said, let’s begin. Not all of the journal prompts listed will apply to you. So please disregard any prompts that are not relevant. Smyth JM, et al. (2018). Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized controlled trial. Underneath a web of surface-level responses usually lies one of a handful of basic emotions. In fact, many psychologists believe there are only six to eight “ primary emotions .”If you react to your triggers fairly immediately, perhaps on a scale that doesn’t align with the trigger (like a delay during your commute sending you into a rage that ruins your entire day), it can help to practice self-care in the moment. The second part of gaining distance, according to Jacobs, is “knowing that your feelings are only one possible reaction to a situation and not the only ‘right’ reaction.”