Well, first of all, no one wants to find themselves in difficult times, even though many of us seem to have a marvelous knack for getting ourselves there. While many of us are blameless, we nevertheless find ourselves in hard times now and then, because that’s just how life is.

But regardless of how we arrive at a difficult situation, we have to live through it, and come out the other side as stronger, wiser people who can help others deal with a similar scenario and, more importantly, avoid it next time ourselves.

A journal is your other best friend.

It may not be the first thing you reach for as soon as you realize that things are bad, but it should be among the things you regularly reach for eventually. The sooner the better.

Checking in with a journal can help you breathe normally again.

It’s understandable if you panic and act accordingly, but it’s best if you don’t let Panic Mode drag on. You don’t want to risk making rash decisions and end up with yet more problems to deal with. Writing things down keeps you from doing that other thing that could prove impossible to undo, or at the very least take a while to overcome. And while you’re writing things down, the rhythm of it slows you down—your thoughts, your heartbeat, your breathing—and allows you to think more rationally.

A journal allows you to purge your system of some negative emotions and thoughts regarding a difficult situation.

You may be wrong, but that shouldn’t keep you from writing down your feelings and thoughts. If anything, seeing them on paper could make you realize you’re wrong—and prompt you to fix things. Just like what can happen when you unload a whole baggage of feelings and thoughts on a friend and, as you listen to yourself, end up realizing you’re wrong. Or, as is quite often the case, after listening to you, your friend will point out that you’re wrong.

A journal is your other business partner, mentor, life coach, etc.


Only it’s quieter, and won’t ever judge you.

Regular journaling helps you arrive at a different perspective, perhaps one that can turn things around.

While you’re pouring your thoughts out, you may just be this close to gaining a different perspective on your situation, because writing about your hardships tends to let you think things through—on paper. Which is a place where clarity can be more obvious. What you do armed with that clarity is entirely up to you.

Journaling as you’re trying to work your way out of a jam can prime your brain for problem solving.

Once you have calmed down and gained a different view on your situation, you’re in a good place to troubleshoot: start outlining the major points of the situation that you can target and mapping out the steps you need to take, as well as identifying the people you can approach for help or collaboration.


Especially if you’re journaling with pen and paper, the significant hand-to-brain connection can make problem solving that much easier: because when we write by hand, our brain gets great exercise through multitasking, and can process the conceptual aspects of a given situation better, which is how some original ideas are generated. And an original idea, or two, might just be what it takes to get you out of a difficult situation.

A journal is your private file cabinet, organizer, calendar, etc.

Journaling can help you pick out the best ideas and cross out the ones that won’t work despite seeming brilliant on initial consideration.

A journal offers an easy-to-access record of every idea you have considered, making it possible to take your time while you consider each one in order to pick out what’s best for your situation.

Journaling can help you clearly set when you have to act.

Being able to revisit all the new ideas and new realizations you have arrived at, you can organize your schedule better, making sure that your timing is right.

Having a tough time lately? Start journaling, to see how much clearer things look on paper. Explore your options with Journalz.