Journaling can distract you from stress, provide an emotional outlet that allows you to “let off steam,” and otherwise be healthy for you during your divorce. Additionally, your Richmond Hill divorce lawyer may suggest that you keep a journal in order to create a written record of your divorce’s sequence of events that will help you later.
Keeping a Journal for Your Emotional Health
Since writing in a journal is an age-old method of decompressing, you’ll likely find that writing about your feelings will help you cope with the daily stresses of divorce. Many counselors and therapists ask their clients to keep an emotional journal so they can look back and see progress, as well.
When you begin journaling about your divorce:
- Find a quiet, private place so you can let your feelings flow. If you are interrupted, try to pick up where you left off. Remember, feelings can change quickly – but that doesn’t mean you should erase what you’ve already written; it just means that you take another path.
- Don’t edit as you write – just write. Stopping to edit yourself will interfere with committing your feelings to paper.
- Write until you feel like you’ve gotten everything out.
- Carry your journal with you, whether it’s on paper or on the computer, if possible; that way, you can write whenever the mood strikes you.
Don’t re-read your journal immediately after you’ve scrawled out your day. In fact, you should wait several weeks before re-reading so that your emotions have time to evolve appropriately.
Keeping a Journal for Your Divorce Case
Some Richmond Hill divorce lawyers tell their clients to keep a journal – not only for their mental well-being, but also for their case’s well-being.
Your Richmond Hill divorce lawyer may tell you that your journal can serve as a written record of the events and challenges you face during your divorce, which can be especially helpful when your memory fails or you’re overwhelmed by emotion.
If your ex forgets to pick up the kids after soccer practice, says something horrible to you in front of your children or otherwise behaves poorly, you’ll have it in your journal (and that will double as a reminder of what caused your divorce later on). You can tell your Richmond Hill divorce lawyer all the details that may affect your case the next time you meet.
Sharing Your Journal’s Contents with Your Richmond Hill Divorce Lawyer
Having your journal handy, especially when you meet with your Richmond Hill divorce lawyer, will help you immensely. With it, you can easily provide your Richmond Hill divorce lawyer with dates, times and events that may affect your case.
You may wish to make special note of things you’ll want to tell your Richmond Hill divorce lawyer, either by placing a tab or bookmark on important pages as you write, or by re-reading and creating a list. That way, your Richmond Hill divorce lawyer can be as prepared as possible should the case proceed to court.
