“Write to Heal” Journal Instructions

• Write a minimum of 20 minutes a day for four consecutive days.

• Write about something extremely personal and important to you.

• Write continuously.  Don’t worry about punctuation, spelling and grammar.

• Write only for yourself.  If necessary, destroy or hide what you write.

• If writing about a certain event will push you over the edge, write about something else.

• It is normal to feel saddened or down after this type of writing.  The last prompt helps to prevent this.  If you still feel low, know this feeling usually goes away in an hour or two.

“Gratitude” Journal Instructions

• Keep a “gratitude” journal to remember the gifts, grace, benefits and good things you enjoy.

• Make time to write daily, preferably toward the end of the day, but before you are too sleepy to remember the day accurately.

• Date every entry.

• Don’t be afraid to remember the bad if it surfaces while writing. When you acknowledge how far you have come, you set up an explicit contrast in your mind and this contrast is fertile ground for gratefulness.

• In gratitude, do not focus on how inherently good you are.  Instead, focus on the inherently good things that others have done on your behalf.  Connect your gratitude to people you are grateful for instead of things.

• Don’t worry about repeating things.  This writing builds a muscle and we learn to recognize more and more opportunities for gratitude.

“Daily” Journal Instructions

• Keep a journal.

• Make time to write.

• Write regularly.

• Date every entry.

• Tell yourself the truth.

Gratitude List Instructions

• Whether it’s in a journal, on scrap paper or using AfroChicano Press’s free gratitude list template, write the things you are thankful for.

• Be as specific as possible. For example, instead of writing “I am grateful for John,” consider including what it is about John that makes you grateful, i.e., “I am grateful that John always listens to me and makes me feel that my opinion matters.”

• Go for depth over breadth.

• See the good things in your life as gifts. Don’t take them for granted.

• Include events that were unexpected or surprising.

• Don’t be afraid to repeatedly write about the same people and things. Focus on a different aspect or detail each time.

• Research shows that gratitude is strongly associated with greater happiness. The key to experiencing the benefits of gratitude is to practice gratefulness intentionally and consistently. Whether you write every other day or once per week, commit to a regular time to write, then honor that commitment.

• To download a printable PDF version of the gratitude list template please click here.

Affirmation Journal Instructions

• Affirmations are positive statements that help reprogram the unconscious mind for success by replacing limiting thoughts and beliefs with confidence and certainty that you have already achieved your goals and dreams. Over time, you begin to think and act differently. 

• Use affirmations in any situation where you would like to see a positive change in your life by creating positive, achievable affirmative statements that clearly articulate what you want to experience.

Tips for writing affirmations:

• Date each entry

• Start with the words “I am.” 

• Use the present tense.  Declare what you desire to already be true.

• State it in the positive. Affirm what you want, not what you don’t want.

• Keep it brief. Shorter is better.  It is easier to remember.

• Make it specific.  Be specific about the outcome you desire.  You may also include the phrase “or something better.”

• Include an action word ending with –ing.

• Include at least one dynamic emotion or feeling word.  This word gets to the heart of how you feel about the outcome.

• Make affirmations for yourself, not others.

•  Example: “I am enthusiastically sharing my unique gifts and talents with the world.  Lives are healed because I put my pen to paper and write.”

• Repeat your affirmation often.  Say your affirmation slowly and clearly, repeating it 3-5 times.  Really focus on the meaning of each word, allowing yourself to embody the feeling of the affirmation. 

• To download a printable PDF version of the affirmation journal template please click here.