I wrote posts about my emotions journal templates, recently refined them and brought them to a non-final but already developed form.

I’m explaining how to make an entry in the journal to fully work through and resolve the emotions that are causing you discomfort. I’ve been in Gestalt therapy for 4 years now and have gained experience, compiled piece by piece a template for journal entries that I’ve been using in various forms all these years. I read books, listened to psychology lectures, read dozens of articles and tested this template inside and out. This template has been tested on me about a hundred times, on other people about a dozen times.

Template:

  1. What does my body feel? Where? What does it feel like?
  2. What about my breathing? What is it like?
  3. What emotions do these sensations resemble?
  4. Why did these emotions arise?
  5. What do these emotions want to happen, what do they want me to do?
  6. What do these emotions want to tell me, what do they want to teach me?
  7. What am I like right now? What am I like in this situation? Why?
  8. What do I want right now?

Usage Rules:

You need to fill it out sequentially, you cannot jump to other questions.

Time is not limited, but you will run out of energy. This is normal, just finish the entry. Gradually you’ll go further and further. Sometimes emotions are too strong and you’ll need to rest.

You cannot write that emotions are bad. No emotions are bad, they’re all good. They’re all useful and want to teach you something.

You cannot answer incompletely, evasively, with metaphors or figuratively. If the question asks “what emotions do the feelings resemble,” you need to write at least specific names of emotions.

Don’t write “my feelings are like I want to punch him.” You’ve fooled yourself with this, and now you won’t be able to answer the next question. You’ve backed yourself into a corner. Beginners do this especially often.

You need to write down all emotions, even if there are many or some are weak, otherwise you’ve hidden yourself from yourself.

If you think about the answer for a long time and can’t figure it out, you need to go back to the very first question and establish contact with the body. That is, just start over, only go slower.