Therapeutic Journaling
In This Session
Breathing Exercise 5x5 (In for 5, Out for 5 counts)
6 Minutes of Free-Writing
Review Your Writing for Themes, Emotions, Thoughts/Beliefs
Begin … the next step.
In Your Journal
How To Do “The Work”:
Identify a Stressful Thought: Start by identifying a thought that is causing you stress, anxiety, or suffering. This could be any thought related to a situation, person, or yourself.
Ask Four Questions:
Is it true?: Question the truthfulness of the thought. Can you absolutely know that it's true?
Can you absolutely know that it's true?: Reflect on whether you can be absolutely certain that the thought is true.
How do you react, what happens, when you believe that thought?: Consider the emotional and physical reactions you experience when you believe the thought. Who do you become? How do you feel? How do you treat others? How do you treat yourself? Do any addictions/ cravings begin to arise?
Who would you be without the thought?: Imagine how you would feel and behave if you didn't have the thought. How would you become? How do you feel? How do you treat others? How do you treat yourself?
Turn the Thought Around: This step involves finding alternatives to the original thought. There are three ways to turn a thought around:
To the Self: Replace "I" with "you" or "he/she."
To the Other: Replace "you" with "I."
To the Opposite: Find the opposite of the original thought.
Find Examples: Identify specific examples or situations where the turnaround statements are true.
Self-Reflection: Reflect on your insights and how they change your perspective on the original stressful thought.
By following these steps, you can gain clarity, reduce stress, and shift your perspectives on challenging situations or beliefs. It's a practice that can be done individually or with the help of a facilitator.
Byron Katie's website and books provide more detailed guidance and examples for practising The Work.
A few examples below: