How can a guided journal help with grief?

May 19, 2017

 

guided-journal-grief

At a memorial service the other day for a man-boy who left us too young, the pastor encouraged mourners to express their grief.

“It may sound counter-intuitive,” he said, “but expressing grief is a important part of healing.”

I know, I know, we’re afraid that if we let that pain out it might consume us. But actually, the opposite is true. It’s only by letting it out that we one day let go of the constant pain.

Which is why we offer a Guided Journal Through Grief at A Healing Spirit.

guided-journal-griefNow look, I’m not going to tell you that grief goes away, because it doesn’t. I can only assure you that its jagged edges transform into something softer with time and expression.

Here’s what this guided journal is:  A chance for easy expression of your thoughts and feelings. A collection of prompts–questions the reader is asked to respond to, topics, even some meditations and helpful activities.  Even those who don’t like to write can draw or paste mementoes or photos or even magazine photos in response to the prompts. Some people choose to make a little collage on some of the pages. Do whatever helps you let those feelings out.

The Guided Journal Through Grief is safe place to express how you feel. Say the things you might not have had a chance to say to your loved one when they were alive.  Or the things about your grief you don’t want to say out loud.

And when you’re done, you’ve got a beautiful keepsake of your feelings for your loved one. You can keep it on a shelf and refer to it any time you’d like to remember your loved one in that special way. Do anything you want with it–it’s your journal and your safe place for feelings. It’s also got some ideas for little ways you can memorialize your loved one.

One of the nice things about writing with pen or pencil is that it slows down your thinking. You’ve got time to really consider how you feel and in the process, without you even noticing, healing has begun.  Along with a pretty pen, the journal makes a thoughtful gift for a close friend or relative.

Find the guided journal and all of my products and services to help with grief right HERE at A Healing Spirit.

 

 

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39 comments on “How can a guided journal help with grief?
  1. Tara Pittman says:

    This sounds like a good book. Grieving is such a difficult time.

  2. Tammy says:

    Grief is very hard to overcome. My dad has been gone for 10 years now and I still grieve for him. My way to cope is by remembering all our good times and how it didn’t take much to make him laugh.

  3. I can see guided journals being a huge help for grief. It’s so hard to process loss at times, that we lose our way.

  4. Joely Smith says:

    This is an EXCELLENT article. I agree 100% about the writing process – not typing – but pen or pencil in hand. Somehow things transform from our brains to PAPER better and more completely. It helps with the actualization and manifesting.

  5. What a great article. Grieving is a hard thing to overcome. Time does heal some wounds, self help can help overcome it partially but you will never get rid of it. But it’s ok, this is what makes us… us.

  6. Shirley says:

    Grief is very hard to overcome, it lasts through out the life if we loose someone close. I like the writing idea, i feel that yes it will be helpful and as you said it will slow down the thinking process.

  7. Claudia Krusch says:

    I can definitely see how a guided journal can help. I will have to share this with a friend of mine. She lost her Husband about 6 months ago.

  8. This journal is a great idea for those dealing with grief. It’s so important to put into words one’s feelings and this journal is a wonderful way to cope.

  9. Your journal sounds like a great way to help with the grief process. I agree that the pen/pencil idea is better than typing.

  10. This is such a great idea for those struggling with grief. I love that it is guided because it makes it easier to reflect and dig deep. So often we just have a hard time knowing where to start but with this it would be easier to explore the grief and come to terms with our feelings.

  11. Ali Rost says:

    I bet this would wonderful for people who are grieving. I know when something is troubling me, it always helps if I can write it down x

  12. Rebecca M. says:

    When I have had to deal with grief in my life, it has been a challenge. I wish I had a guided journal to help me with the process. I think I would have been able to cope much better.

  13. I had always wnted one, but never got one. Last month when I lost my pet, it shook me to the core and I decided it was time for a grief journal. It truly helps.

  14. Dogvills says:

    I think this guided journal book will help a lot of people. Grief is very hard to overcome and it’s only when we let go that we are able to move on.

  15. chei says:

    It’s really sad that we feel grief sometimes. Especially when someone you love has been gone. This is a great article. I love it!

  16. A guided grief journal sounds like a useful tool for healing. I often journal, but I never t hought to use a guided grief journal. I lost a loved one last year and I think this journal idea would be helpful in sorting out my feelings and thoughts.

  17. Journaling is a wonderful way to get your feelings down on paper. I have my kids journal before bed at night.

  18. Missy says:

    I wonder if this would work if the person is still alive? I’m grieving the loss of some people who haven’t passed but are no longer the same due to extreme addiction.

  19. What a lovely idea to help you to create beautiful keepsake and at the same time overcome the grief.

  20. uprunforlife says:

    This sounds like a wonderful tool to use while grieving. Sometimes in the situation, it is hard to see the good memories. Losing someone is never easy no matter how old they were.

  21. ricci says:

    Grief is different for everyone but I think that journaling about it can help. This journal sounds like a neat idea!!

  22. Anosa says:

    I think a guided journal is a really great tool to use when dealing with grief God knows grief has never been easy for anyone.

  23. Annemarie LeBlanc says:

    I think this is a good idea. Sometime there are so many things you want to say but don’t know where to start. A guided journal will definitely help us overcome grief.

  24. Elizabeth O. says:

    This guided journal sounds so helpful. It’s really important that we face and deal with out grief, it’s definitely part of the moving on process. Without expressing our emotions, we’re just bottling it up and that’s what leads to depression and loneliness.

  25. Rebecca Swenor says:

    This sounds like something my whole family could benefit from because we lost my niece last year. We will never know the cause because of a man who is now under sheriff in our county. Anyway this sounds like something my sister could really indeed use along with her whole family.Thanks for sharing the Guided Journal Through Grief.

  26. Echo says:

    I think this would be amazing for someone struggling with grief. Sometimes, we just don’t know how to think about anything other than the fact that they are gone. This would help with that.

  27. Dogvills says:

    This is a very good idea to help grieving individuals express their feelings. Writing is one effective way to release pent up emotions, because we are not being judged by anyone.

  28. I like the idea of putting together this book while your grief has you so raw in your feelings and then you have to remember later.

  29. Elizabeth says:

    What a great idea, a guided journal. I too think it’s important to let the grief out to help deal with it.

  30. Jeni Hawkins says:

    This is such a great idea. I never really would have thought of something like this to help deal with grief but the process looks perfect.

  31. Eloise says:

    this is a very thoughtful journal to help move along the grieving stages. It’s important to understand each feeling you have during this period, and for those who have a difficult time with that can benefit with this : )

  32. Lynndee says:

    I had a journal when I was in high-school until I got to college, but I sure never thought of a journal when I lost my first husband 11 years ago. I think it would have been a great help with my grief back then.

  33. Nicole says:

    I had a journal as a child but then stopped writing. Now I regret that I stopped as you just start forgetting so much when you grow older.. Should start again!

  34. Jennifer G says:

    I had a journal when I was a child and then there was a while there that I stopped writing. I wish I had of kept my journals though. I have no idea what became of them.

  35. This is a wonderful idea! Plus hand-writing taps into an unconscious side of ourselves so we can really go deep!

  36. Linda Hobden says:

    Writing down your memories and feelings is such a therapeutic way of clearing your mind – and this journal is such a godsend to those who are grieving whether they realise its benefits now or later. Excellent post.

  37. Amber Lozzi says:

    I love this. Writing is SO therapeutic.

  38. Ellen Burgan says:

    The journal prompts would be so helpful to guide the process of going through the emotions.

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