November 6, 2020 • 9 mins
Writing down your thoughts and feelings in a no-judgment journal can help boost your mood and calm your anxiety. We get advice on the popular practice from award-winning writer Dr. Stephanie Han, who teaches classes in journaling.
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to this episode of Here's Something Good, a production
of the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
Each day we aspire to bring you the good news,
the silver lining, the glass half full, because there is
good happening in the world everywhere, every day, we just
need to look for and share it. Here's something Good
(00:27):
for today. Think of all the feelings most of us
are experiencing right now, nervousness, anxiety, unease. Wouldn't it be
nice if there was an easy way to deal with
them and even turn them into a positive Well, there is,
and it's called journaling. Writing down your thoughts and journals
has become increasingly popular during COVID and it could be
(00:50):
just the mood lifter we all need right now. Journaling
can be immensely therapeutic. You can help us heal from
the ordeals of our everyday life or even passed drama.
Studies have found that journaling reduces stress, boosts immunity, as
well as improves mood, memory, and emotional functioning, and it
can be especially helpful for women. Today, we're talking to
(01:12):
Dr Stephanie Han, writer and educator who teaches online classes
and journaling. Doctor Han is the author of the award
winning short story collection Swimming in Hong Kong, and she
leads several all women writing workshops. Here's what dr Han
had to say, Thanks so much for joining us, Thank
you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.
(01:34):
So we're living through challenging times right now, to say
the least, Why are people turning to journaling? I think
this is a time of collective trauma and confusion. Were
very disoriented. Now we're in a time of change, of stress,
of revolution in our thought, of a dissipation of what
we believed in terms of society, in terms of government,
(01:58):
in terms and on a person a level. And so
we're asking a lot of questions. And when people ask questions,
they often turn to journaling because it's a private reflection space.
How do you define journaling? Is it the same thing
as say, keeping a diary? You know, these definitions are
actually quite loose, And I believe that the word journal
(02:19):
journaling um became a verb sometime at the end of
the twentieth century. It really wasn't commonly used like that.
But when we often think about keeping a diary, what
we think about is recording and some kind of organized
fashion the events that happened during the day. What we
associate with journaling tends to be a little more free form. Um.
(02:41):
We allow ourselves to write down phrases, ideas, dreams, um,
you know, thoughts that we might not yet have an
clear answer for an organizational structure for So that's what
when we think of journaling. That's kind of the association.
Although there is no strict difference honestly in the definition,
(03:05):
it's just now how it's used. What do you teach
your students about journaling? I began teaching a journaling class
because what I felt was that women in times of
stress and when they face an issue or conflict, they
often returned to text, canonical works and texts for answers. Um.
(03:27):
Of course, they ask friends and they share what we
what we use is what we define as kitchen table wisdom. Um.
But they often returned to a text because the text
speaks of a kind of authority. But these ancient texts
that we refer to were never um. They're not written
by women, and they often are very um difficult to
(03:49):
apply to modern day situations. Women have to do a
lot of mental gymnastics in order to interpret the text,
to make sense of their current lives and delay. And
so when what I try to do is UM teach
journaling around an ethical, moral, or philosophical belief, and through
(04:10):
examining this belief, they can UM understand their own situation better.
So if you have let's say, an idea, a conceptual
idea around UM joy or creativity or humiliation or shame
or disruption, and you can think of a parable from
(04:31):
your own life or an example from your own life
that defines this idea. When you encounter these ideas or feelings,
you can then refer back to your own book of
philosophy that you have actually written UM. And so this
is what I'm trying to do with my class is
to have women execute their own book of philosophy to
(04:54):
guide themselves. So what's the best way to get started?
How do you actually do to Women tend to impose
a lot of rules upon themselves UM and be very
harsh and strict about what they need to do in
order to accomplish and reach their goals. Um, you just
need about five minutes. And if you just get in
(05:14):
the habit of doing it without any strict rules about
how you should write or what you should right, you'll
begin to see the benefits quite quickly. It's so similar
to an idea that they use in um therapy, which
is expressive writing right where you write down your feelings.
But what Once you're in the rhythm of this, you
(05:34):
can then develop a kind of practice of writing where
you're more focused about a particular idea or what you
want to actually record, and very quickly see the benefits.
I suggest that if you can try to hit this
mark several times a week and then just build from there,
you're in a pretty good position. Well that's great to know. Now,
(05:57):
is it better to do journaling by hand or maybe digitally?
They say that you remember better if you are taking
notes by hand, but that is not necessarily the purpose
of journaling, right. The purpose of journaling is often one
of expression, so it's getting the feelings out, whether or
(06:18):
not you remember them. So my feeling is whatever works
for the person is really what matters. If you communicate
better digitally, typing it in, tapping it into your phone,
writing it on the laptop, there's there's no reason why
you can't take have an equally good journal. I think
it's really pretty silly to demand that you write in
(06:40):
one way or another. The important thing is that you
are writing and that you are expressing what you're feeling
and thinking and what you're perceiving about your life. That's
super helpful. So is it okay to share your journal
with other people? You should always be careful about what
you share and with who you are sharing with whom
you're sharing airing, because people tend to be can be
(07:03):
quite judgmental. So my advice to you is you're using
the journal for your own self. This is a record
of your own beliefs, your own dreams, your own anxieties,
and if you feel that you can invite someone to
share these thoughts with that's great. But um be also
(07:25):
alert to the fact that you're making yourself vulnerable and
you should be confident that you can can do this.
So journaling really is a great tool for women. I
think that women can empower themselves through writing their own
texts and having faith in their own words. When you
see your own words on the page and you reflect
(07:45):
about what you're thinking and believing, you can draw strength
from that. So just right, because it will empower you, well,
that's incredibly helpful. Journaling is a great tool for these times,
and it's so easy so here's something Good for today.
Journaling is the perfect way to cope with the mix
of feelings we're all experiencing right now, and it's a
(08:07):
way to collect our thoughts and organize them into a
framework for dealing with the world. Journaling is easy. The
point is not to write the great American novel, but
simply to get our thoughts down on paper. You only
need five minutes a day to see the results and
know that journaling can be especially empowering for women. When
you put your authentic thoughts and feelings on the page
(08:29):
and then read those words, it can be an amazing
source of strength. Thank you for listening, and please share
today's something Good with others in your life. This is
(08:49):
Kim Azzarelli, co author of Fast Forward and co founder
of Seneca Women. To learn more about Seneca Women, go
to Seneca Women dot com or download the Seneca Women
app free in the app store. Here's Something Good is
a production of the Seneca Women podcast network and I
Heart Radio. Have a Great Day. For more podcasts from
(09:13):
I Heart Radio, check out the i Heart Radio app,
Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to this episode of Here's Something Good, a production
of the Seneca Women Podcast Network and I Heart Radio.
Each day we aspire to bring you the good news,
the silver lining, the glass half full, because there is
good happening in the world everywhere, every day, we just
need to look for and share it. Here's something Good
(00:27):
for today. Think of all the feelings most of us
are experiencing right now, nervousness, anxiety, unease. Wouldn't it be
nice if there was an easy way to deal with
them and even turn them into a positive Well, there is,
and it's called journaling. Writing down your thoughts and journals
has become increasingly popular during COVID and it could be
(00:50):
just the mood lifter we all need right now. Journaling
can be immensely therapeutic. You can help us heal from
the ordeals of our everyday life or even passed drama.
Studies have found that journaling reduces stress, boosts immunity, as
well as improves mood, memory, and emotional functioning, and it
can be especially helpful for women. Today, we're talking to
(01:12):
Dr Stephanie Han, writer and educator who teaches online classes
and journaling. Doctor Han is the author of the award
winning short story collection Swimming in Hong Kong, and she
leads several all women writing workshops. Here's what dr Han
had to say, Thanks so much for joining us, Thank
you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.
(01:34):
So we're living through challenging times right now, to say
the least, Why are people turning to journaling? I think
this is a time of collective trauma and confusion. Were
very disoriented. Now we're in a time of change, of stress,
of revolution in our thought, of a dissipation of what
we believed in terms of society, in terms of government,
(01:58):
in terms and on a person a level. And so
we're asking a lot of questions. And when people ask questions,
they often turn to journaling because it's a private reflection space.
How do you define journaling? Is it the same thing
as say, keeping a diary? You know, these definitions are
actually quite loose, And I believe that the word journal
(02:19):
journaling um became a verb sometime at the end of
the twentieth century. It really wasn't commonly used like that.
But when we often think about keeping a diary, what
we think about is recording and some kind of organized
fashion the events that happened during the day. What we
associate with journaling tends to be a little more free form. Um.
(02:41):
We allow ourselves to write down phrases, ideas, dreams, um,
you know, thoughts that we might not yet have an
clear answer for an organizational structure for So that's what
when we think of journaling. That's kind of the association.
Although there is no strict difference honestly in the definition,
(03:05):
it's just now how it's used. What do you teach
your students about journaling? I began teaching a journaling class
because what I felt was that women in times of
stress and when they face an issue or conflict, they
often returned to text, canonical works and texts for answers. Um.
(03:27):
Of course, they ask friends and they share what we
what we use is what we define as kitchen table wisdom. Um.
But they often returned to a text because the text
speaks of a kind of authority. But these ancient texts
that we refer to were never um. They're not written
by women, and they often are very um difficult to
(03:49):
apply to modern day situations. Women have to do a
lot of mental gymnastics in order to interpret the text,
to make sense of their current lives and delay. And
so when what I try to do is UM teach
journaling around an ethical, moral, or philosophical belief, and through
(04:10):
examining this belief, they can UM understand their own situation better.
So if you have let's say, an idea, a conceptual
idea around UM joy or creativity or humiliation or shame
or disruption, and you can think of a parable from
(04:31):
your own life or an example from your own life
that defines this idea. When you encounter these ideas or feelings,
you can then refer back to your own book of
philosophy that you have actually written UM. And so this
is what I'm trying to do with my class is
to have women execute their own book of philosophy to
(04:54):
guide themselves. So what's the best way to get started?
How do you actually do to Women tend to impose
a lot of rules upon themselves UM and be very
harsh and strict about what they need to do in
order to accomplish and reach their goals. Um, you just
need about five minutes. And if you just get in
(05:14):
the habit of doing it without any strict rules about
how you should write or what you should right, you'll
begin to see the benefits quite quickly. It's so similar
to an idea that they use in um therapy, which
is expressive writing right where you write down your feelings.
But what Once you're in the rhythm of this, you
(05:34):
can then develop a kind of practice of writing where
you're more focused about a particular idea or what you
want to actually record, and very quickly see the benefits.
I suggest that if you can try to hit this
mark several times a week and then just build from there,
you're in a pretty good position. Well that's great to know. Now,
(05:57):
is it better to do journaling by hand or maybe digitally?
They say that you remember better if you are taking
notes by hand, but that is not necessarily the purpose
of journaling, right. The purpose of journaling is often one
of expression, so it's getting the feelings out, whether or
(06:18):
not you remember them. So my feeling is whatever works
for the person is really what matters. If you communicate
better digitally, typing it in, tapping it into your phone,
writing it on the laptop, there's there's no reason why
you can't take have an equally good journal. I think
it's really pretty silly to demand that you write in
(06:40):
one way or another. The important thing is that you
are writing and that you are expressing what you're feeling
and thinking and what you're perceiving about your life. That's
super helpful. So is it okay to share your journal
with other people? You should always be careful about what
you share and with who you are sharing with whom
you're sharing airing, because people tend to be can be
(07:03):
quite judgmental. So my advice to you is you're using
the journal for your own self. This is a record
of your own beliefs, your own dreams, your own anxieties,
and if you feel that you can invite someone to
share these thoughts with that's great. But um be also
(07:25):
alert to the fact that you're making yourself vulnerable and
you should be confident that you can can do this.
So journaling really is a great tool for women. I
think that women can empower themselves through writing their own
texts and having faith in their own words. When you
see your own words on the page and you reflect
(07:45):
about what you're thinking and believing, you can draw strength
from that. So just right, because it will empower you, well,
that's incredibly helpful. Journaling is a great tool for these times,
and it's so easy so here's something Good for today.
Journaling is the perfect way to cope with the mix
of feelings we're all experiencing right now, and it's a
(08:07):
way to collect our thoughts and organize them into a
framework for dealing with the world. Journaling is easy. The
point is not to write the great American novel, but
simply to get our thoughts down on paper. You only
need five minutes a day to see the results and
know that journaling can be especially empowering for women. When
you put your authentic thoughts and feelings on the page
(08:29):
and then read those words, it can be an amazing
source of strength. Thank you for listening, and please share
today's something Good with others in your life. This is
(08:49):
Kim Azzarelli, co author of Fast Forward and co founder
of Seneca Women. To learn more about Seneca Women, go
to Seneca Women dot com or download the Seneca Women
app free in the app store. Here's Something Good is
a production of the Seneca Women podcast network and I
Heart Radio. Have a Great Day. For more podcasts from
(09:13):
I Heart Radio, check out the i Heart Radio app,
Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
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