Writing and journaling is on the list of healthy coping mechanisms, especially as we've started a new year still in a global pandemic. Jill Riley called on an expert, Kim Todd: an author on the Creative Writing MFA faculty at the University of Minnesota.

Every Wednesday morning at 8:30 CST, Jill Riley connects with experts and local personalities for some real talk about keeping our minds and bodies healthy — from staying safe in the music scene, to exercising during a pandemic, to voting and civic engagement. Looking for more resources and support? Visit our friends at Call to Mind, MPR's initiative to foster new conversations about mental health.

Jill Riley: On the topic of journaling and personal writing: this is just a real general question, but what is the benefit there? What is the benefit of journaling?

Kim Todd: One of the most important things that personal writing and journaling does is, it allows you to tell the story of yourself. When you tell a story about an experience you've had, it allows you to make meaning out of it. As you put it into words, you can think about your motivations and the motivations of other people, and you can create order out of the chaos of all these thoughts and feelings to help you gain perspective.

It'll be really fascinating to look back at this time [for] people who've kept a journal and people who've been writing about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. I think about my grandmother, who kept a daily diary. She did so for many, many, many years and it was always really neat to look back and see what had happened 20 years ago, ten years ago. What's your experience with personal writing and journaling?

I first started keeping a diary when I was in third grade. It was a record, honestly, when I look back on it, of what we had for dessert each night and whether or not we won our games. It seems silly now, but it was a record of what mattered to me. When I do journal these days, it's the same kind of benefit. You are allowed to prioritize what's important to you, and I think a lot of times, a lot of our time is ruled by our to-do lists and our e-mail inbox and we're always responding to what other people need from us. Writing allows you to spend a few minutes thinking about what you want to think about.

Maybe you had a talk with your son that bothered you and you want to spend some time working out what exactly happened, or maybe you read a novel that moved you and you want to explore why...it really allows you to prioritize your own curiosity and interest.

I find that really interesting that, you know, when you start at a young age, it's like, okay, I write about what dessert was or what the, what the sports score was, but you know, thinking about my grandmother, you know, it was life on the farm, she logged what the weather was every day. And then if something significant happens, or whatever time of year, it was, it was just like a one sentence thing. And so it seems really simple. But I think a pretty good place to get started is, how do you get started, if you don't consider yourself a writer? I kind of relate to that. I'm more of a talker than a writer. But I also think I use that as an excuse.

Well, my first advice would be just to make it low stakes for yourself. You know, designate a notebook, so you're not writing on the back of whatever piece of junk mail is handy, which I have done. But one that's not so expensive or fancy that you don't want to mess it up with bad writing. So a journal should really be a place to play and experiment and explore, and not to worry about doing things wrong. So you know, choose a notebook that you don't mind filling up with thoughts. Write in short bursts that don't seem daunting. I think if you decide to write for an hour, it might be hard to stay in the chair for that long. But ten minutes is plenty, you know, and you can even set a timer, if that feels easiest to like, okay, I'll do this for ten minutes and see how that feels.

And then also, to choose the time of day that works for you. Some people write first thing in the morning before they talk with anyone else or check social media, their e-mail, with the idea that, you know, you're closest to your own voice and your own thoughts at that time; and other people prefer to write at night, to carve out a little space right before going to sleep. And after all those hours of knocking things off your to-do list to spend a little time for yourself, so that you fall asleep with being in control of, you know, your own time. But also don't beat yourself up. If you miss a day or three. It shouldn't be another chore. It will become more comfortable with practice, just like playing guitar or playing basketball.

I've heard you mention the notebook. So are you a real advocate for pen to paper or you know, is it okay for people to open the laptop? Is there a benefit to either?

With all of these things you should do what works for you. For me, I do use pen and paper for journaling, just because particularly with COVID-19, we have just spent so much time on the screen that I just really enjoy, you know, doing something in a different in a different format. And also the temptation to, you know, go check something go, you know, look at a website is removed, and it really does feel more peaceful time to me. But you know, that's my personal preference again, you should do what works for you.

Yeah. I love that you point that out, because I would totally want to, like...oh, I'm just gonna click over to this website for just a minute. And then like, I would go down the YouTube rabbit hole. So yeah, kind of get away from the distraction. That's something really good to point out. Kim, we're talking about personal writing and journaling. But what if the idea of you know, journaling seems, maybe, intimidating to someone? Or it's like, well, I don't really see myself journaling. I mean, are there other kinds of writing out there that people can try to experiment with or explore?

Yeah, I mean, one of my favorite kinds of writing is keeping a field journal. And this asks you to focus your attention on where you are, rather than maybe who you are. And it involves drawing our attention to your surroundings and yourself as part of a larger ecosystem. Some techniques for doing this [are] just: finding a spot outdoors that appeals to you where you can spend a few moments. I know, it's very cold these days.

And second, really just documenting where you are; noting the day and the time, and the location and the weather like your grandmother used to do. And then something that you experience with each of your five senses to really reach that place. And then just choose an animal or plant to observe this time of year, you might see a hawk on a lamppost or open milkweed seed pod. And you can leave it at that, or you can draw a sketch or go home and try to figure out what you saw. There's some beautiful illustrated field journals out there to get you inspired. But even if you're not an artist, it just lets you engage with, like, a different kind of time.

We've talked so much about mindfulness these days. And it almost sounds like that kind of writing or journaling is almost like mindfulness, but put to paper.

It is...and you're not closing out the world, you are inviting in the world. And that is something that really resonates with me.