gentle release

Journaling

Get the thoughts out of your head and onto paper.

Your couch, bed, or kitchen table No rules • Messy is fine • Digital counts too

Journaling isn't about beautiful handwriting or profound insights. It's just a place to dump your thoughts so they stop looping in your head.

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paper & pen

Selfcare essentials

Letters, prompts, and resources for the questions circling in your head.

Why it helps

  • Writing things down gets them out of your head so they stop looping endlessly.
  • It helps you process emotions instead of just sitting in them.
  • You can look back later and see patterns or see how far you've come.

When to reach for it

  • When your mind is racing and you can't organize your thoughts.
  • After a difficult conversation or upsetting event.
  • When you feel overwhelmed but can't pinpoint why.
  • Before bed to clear your mind for sleep.
  • When you need to make a decision and feel stuck.

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Quick techniques to try

Pick whatever feels right. There's no wrong way to journal.

Brain Dump

5-10 minutes to empty your head

  1. Set a timer for 10 minutes
  2. Write everything that's in your head—don't edit or organize
  3. Let it be messy, disconnected, rambling
  4. Don't worry about making sense or being coherent
  5. When the timer ends, close the journal—you've externalized the chaos

This is the best one when you feel overwhelmed and can't organize your thoughts.

Gratitude Practice

2 minutes for perspective

  1. Write today's date
  2. List 3 specific things you're grateful for
  3. Be specific ("my coffee tasted good" not just "coffee")
  4. Close the journal—that's it

This sounds cheesy but it genuinely helps shift your brain on hard days.

Stream of Consciousness

10-20 minutes to process feelings

  1. Start with "I feel..." and finish the sentence
  2. Keep writing without stopping or editing
  3. Don't censor yourself—nobody will read this
  4. Let your hand keep moving even if it feels repetitive
  5. Stop when you feel lighter or the timer ends

This helps you figure out what you're actually feeling underneath the surface.

Evening Reflection

5 minutes before bed

  1. What went well today? List 3 things (even tiny wins)
  2. What can wait until tomorrow? Write it down to release it
  3. Name one thing you're proud of today

This helps your brain stop replaying the day so you can actually sleep.

Prompts to get you started

  • Right now, I'm feeling...
  • What I need today is...
  • I'm worried about...
  • Something good that happened today:
  • What would make tomorrow easier?
  • If my best friend felt this way, I would tell them...
  • What's actually in my control right now?
  • What has worked before when I felt like this?
  • The smallest thing I can do right now to feel 1% better is...

Things that help

  • You don't need a fancy notebook—any notebook or your phone's Notes app works.
  • Spelling, grammar, and handwriting don't matter at all. This is for you.
  • You can burn or delete pages if that feels cathartic.
  • Morning pages (write first thing when you wake up) can help clear your mind for the day.
  • Journaling before bed helps dump worries so you can sleep.
  • Even writing "I don't know what to write" counts as journaling—just keep going.