How Journaling is great for Mental Health with Rosemary Ikpeme

One of the good things to have come out of the pandemic is that people are now openly talking about mental health issues and it’s less of a taboo. The fact that everyone was suddenly suffering together made it easier to talk about, and it took a few celebs talking about mental health issues before the rest of us normal folk felt that it was OK to not be OK. Journaling for mental health has been something that I’ve loved doing for years, but we’re so glad that others have now caught up to the trend.

I caught up with Rosemary Ikpeme about her brand Mynd Map , which she created because she understood the importance of journaling but never found one that catered for aspects of her life, so she created one herself!

I fricking LOVE Mynd Map’s stuff – they have everything!

Remember when colouring for adults became a thing?! Well, Rosemary incorporated this into her journal too! It’s soooooo therapeutic! Plus, if you’re a creative-type, like myself… it’s incredibly addictive! You want to make each page so pretty!

Check out their new range of products here – I personally recommend the journal and the wall calendar. Not only has it made me insanely productive, but it’s been so calming!

Why journaling can help mental health

Ever heard of the phrase “better out than in”?! Well, journaling helps you get out all your emotions down on paper. Not only does it help with awareness – you may not have even realised you were bottling up all these emotions in the first place, but it encourages opening up, as many people want to be able to speak to someone about what they’re going through but they’re scared. Journaling is like a step towards speaking to someone about your troubles. Even WebMD is recognising that journaling helps reduce anxiety and can help speed up physical healing.

Don’t get me wrong, journaling is not going to cure all your problems and suddenly remove all the stress from your life (I wish!), but it certainly will help.

How to start journaling

It can seem overwhelming if you’ve never journaled before, but did you ever have a diary as a kid? I did, and that’s what it reminded me of! But this time, it will probably be less about who was mean to you at school and which boy you have a crush on.

I have always been a little bit obsessed with stationery as a kid – a trip to Staples was insanely exciting (sad, I know), so I think starting with a good-looking journal and a sexy pen is a great start. I would say that you should just write whatever comes naturally to you – ignore what everyone thinks is “necessary”, but just write what’s on your mind. What’s important is that you do things regularly.

One of the things I absolutely love about Mynd Map’s journal is that it’s really visual. So, if you don’t feel that you’re a confident writer, you can use all the visual aids to help you get those emotions out.

Psychology Today has a great guide on how to start journaling too.

No Bullsh*t Talks Episode 6 – How Journaling Helps Mental Health

For the full episode with Rosemary Ikpeme to find out how she went from a career in media to becoming a mental health advocate and black female boss, then check out the full episode by clicking on the image below!