Want To Be Emotionally Resilient?

Most of us do at least some of this kind of worrying at least some of the time, and maybe more than we used to. We live in a worrisome age. But, there's something you can do that will help you worry less and become more emotionally resilient. Anyone can do it, it doesn't take much time, and there's no cost at all: Write down what you're worrying about. That might seem absurdly simple, but it turns out to be extremely powerful as well. Keeping a "worry journal" is an element of cognitive behavior therapy, or CBT, which has long been known to help with a great many emotional disorders.

If you're ready to give journaling a try, here are some suggestions for getting started:

Make journaling part of your regular response to stress.
When something happens and you're feeling upset, frightened, and not in control of your emotions, the first thing you should do is sit and focus on your breathing for a few moments. This in itself will help you regain some emotional balance. Then, turn to your journal. Write down what you're upset about, what you're worried about, your biggest problems and your biggest fears. Be honest.

Write when you want to.
Follow your own emotional prompts and try writing in your journal when you're worried, scared, or angry. Chances are it will feel like something you really want to do in that moment.

Use the medium that most appeals to you.
Choose the medium, whether paper or electronic, that feels most enjoyable to you. If you're new to journaling, try experimenting with a few different ways of doing it to see which you like best.

Let it rip.
Go ahead and let out your problems, frustrations, and most worrisome concerns on the page. Keep going until you've written down everything you have to say. As you lay your problems out on the page, it will become more clear what you need to do about it.