SOVA Blog

by Scout24

An open journal sitting on top of a wooden table next to a cup of coffee, a phone, a camera, and a plate of deserts

How Journaling Helped Me Process My Emotions

April 10, 2023 in Educate Yourself

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Photo: open journal, pen, and a cup of tea in front of a window.

Have you ever let an emotion control you? It is not a good feeling. If you’re anything like me, sometimes dealing with hard feelings can derail your entire day and drive you to unhealthy coping mechanisms that end up making things worse. 

A few years ago, my therapist recommended journaling when I feel overwhelmed by my emotions, and it has helped immensely. Writing down my feelings helps me organize my thoughts, vent irrationally if I need to, and express feelings on paper without feeling ashamed. It has a similar feeling of relief as venting to a friend, except without the worry of overwhelming another person with your problems, or the risk of judgement.

When I feel overwhelmed by an emotion, my impulse is often that I need to do something to address it. Historically, this leads to me turning to bad habits and unhealthy coping skills to get my mind off of it, or neglecting my responsibilities to fixate on the feeling. However, journaling provides a satisfactory feeling knowing that I have managed my emotions, without the repercussions of the alternative unhealthy coping skills. Through journaling, I am able to be fully honest about how I am feeling with no need to explain or justify my emotions.

Do you find journaling helpful while navigating strong emotions? Has it been a useful coping skill? Please feel free to share below!

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by Scout24

Finding a better coping skill

September 22, 2022 in Educate Yourself

Dealing with negative emotions often requires finding coping skills that work for you. These are important tools that help people process anxiety, anger, and sadness. However, when someone turns to a negative or destructive coping skill, it can prolong the feelings and make them worse. It also creates a bad habit that is hard to break.

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For example, my response to anxiety for a long time was to lie down and scroll on social media. Not only did it bring my day to a halt and make me feel extremely tired, it also exposed me to images and content that made me feel worse. If you have a similar problem of relying on a coping skill that exacerbates the problem, I recommend making a list of positive coping methods and reminding yourself to rely on them. This can create better long-term habits. Some of the ones that have worked for me:

  1. Avoid opening social media. Instead, I try to focus my energy on reading a book or watching a movie. This will keep my attention off of a stressor and focus it elsewhere.
  2. Call a friend. Speaking to a friend or family member can help me work through a difficult situation or put it in perspective.
  3. Journal. Working through feelings in a journal helps express what I’m feeling and put it into words.
  4. Plan a self-care night. Planning something relaxing helps take my mind off of a stressor and creates something else to put my attention towards.
  5. Cook, clean, or work on a project. Being productive can provide the dopamine hit that looking at social media (or another harmful coping method) would otherwise provide.

Has anyone else dealt with negative coping skills? And if so, what alternative has worked better for you?

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