"For those individuals who are just beginning to journal, I would advise them to approach it in a very simple way so that they will not feel overwhelmed," Kim Boone, MA, LMHC, MATS, PsyD candidate, and clinical director at Recovery Works Merriville, told POPSUGAR.
Kim explained that journaling can be done by anyone and you don't have to be a "good writer" to benefit from journaling. "Journaling is a tool that is meant to be calming and one that allows for the release of everything that one may be feeling," she added. She recommends journaling whenever you feel overwhelmed, when your thoughts are racing and you can't make sense of them, when you need an outlet to release everything that has happened during the day, or whenever you want to remind yourself of the things you're grateful for.
As for how long or how often you should journal? Kim said, "A person should journal as often or as little as they'd like. There isn't a set time frame that is most effective. It's about what works for the individual."