By Kylee Harris
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses, affecting roughly one in five people. For new parents, life is filled with new sources of stress and triggers for anxiety. Journaling is one of the best ways of understanding your emotions and developing a sense of control, and for new parents it can be especially valuable, allowing them to work through stressful times and alleviate anxiety.
How to start journaling
The first step to journaling is understanding your motivation for doing it. Whether it’s for relaxation, self-improvement or as a tool for managing anxiety can change how you approach your writing. With your motivations worked out, it’s time to decide your technique.
The definition of journaling encompasses a wide range of approaches varying from bullet points to drawing.
It’s best to do some research on which technique appeals to you the most, but the good news is that because it is such a flexible concept, anyone can do it with as little as five minutes a day.
In the age of social media and instant messaging, many acts of communication can fall under journaling. Collating posts or messages you feel are important can have similar value to traditional journaling. Blogging has exploded in popularity over the last ten years, becoming an integral part of daily life for millions. As a parent, it provides a unique way to track your journey and perhaps help other parents along theirs. It will also give you valuable experience in content marketing and creation, skills that can be applied to many different documents and are transferable to many different careers. As with journals, blogs can take many forms, and creating a timeline of posts related to your parenting journey is a great way to start.
