"Grief doesn't follow a script. Whether you've lost someone suddenly or are navigating the slow unraveling that follows a major life change, it can be hard to find space for your emotions, let alone make sense of them. That's where journaling comes in. This commonly therapist-recommended tool has been shown to ease stress, clarify emotions, and support long-term healing. And, no, it doesn't have to be done daily to make a difference."
"Journaling can be structured or loose, emotional or observational. It might be a list of what's missing or a vision of what you wish could happen. One popular method gaining traction on TikTok is the "Best Case Scenario" prompt. You imagine an upcoming event like a first date or a difficult family gathering, and write out how you want it to go. The idea isn't to ignore real risks. It's to give your brain permission to imagine positive outcomes."
Journaling provides a way to create space for emotions and to clarify feelings during grief. Practices can be structured or loose, emotional or observational, and include lists of losses or visions of desired outcomes. The Best Case Scenario prompt encourages imagining positive outcomes to counter catastrophizing before stressful events. Therapists recommend journaling because evidence shows benefits: a 2024 randomized controlled trial of international medical students found positive emotional writing reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety and improved well-being, and a 2025 systematic review analyzed 51 studies on positive expressive writing.
Read at Psychology Today
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