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/ Practice · 4 min read · By Sarah Linden /
Journaling for Wellbeing: A Ten-Minute Practice
Therapy happens once a week; life happens every day. Journaling is the bridge — ten minutes that keep insights alive between sessions. You don't need beautiful prose or a leather notebook. You need a pen, a page, and three honest prompts.
1. "What am I carrying today?"
List whatever sits on your chest, unfiltered and unranked. Externalizing worry onto paper frees working memory — studies show even a few minutes of expressive writing lowers the mental load measurably. No solutions required; naming is the work.
2. "What story am I telling about it?"
Pick one item and write the story you're attaching to it. I'm behind. They think I'm failing. Nothing will change. Then ask: what would I say to a friend thinking this? This is cognitive restructuring in its simplest, most portable form.
3. "What is one small kindness I can offer myself?"
End with action, not rumination: a walk, a boundary, an early night, a message you've been avoiding. Small kindnesses compound. Clients who journal this way arrive at sessions clearer — and leave with sharper goals.
Make it stick
- Same time, same place — mornings work best for most people
- Ten minutes, timer on, pen moving the whole time
- No re-reading for the first month; this is process, not product
- Bring the pages (or just the patterns) to your next session
Want structure? Our Guided Therapy Journal contains twelve weeks of therapist-designed prompts built exactly on this method.
