Living with celiac disease means that you have to live gluten-free for the rest of your life. Even if you welcome your celiac disease diagnosis with open arms, managing a completely new way of living can trigger a boatload of emotions. In this post, I’m going to talk about the potential benefits of writing in a journal, how to start building a habit of writing in a journal, and lastly, I’ll give you some celiac disease journal prompts to help get you started.
Why consider journal writing
Before I talk about the how and what of journal writing, we should first explore the why. Why should you write in a journal?
Writing in a journal can be a powerful form of self-care. It might help you process and clarify your thoughts and feelings around your diagnosis and perhaps, help you cope with the new lifestyle that you’ve been thrown into.
In fact, in many studies, they’ve found that people who part-take in gratitude journaling or expressive writing (writing that is deeply personal and occurs without regard to grammar, punctuation etc.), have improved optimism, purpose, and resilience.
That being said, only you can know if journaling is right for you. If you think it is, then let’s talk about how to start the habit!
What is Journaling and how do I practice it?
First, writing in a journal doesn’t have to be a “dear diary, omg today my crush winked at me” situation unless that’s why you want it to be. Journal writing should only be about writing what you want to write. It could entail stream-of-consciousness writing or perhaps, responding to journal prompts; whatever you need.
Journaling is what you need it to be. This also means that you don’t have to journal every day, every week or on any schedule! There should be no pressure around when you journal.
Journaling should be about what you want it to be about and it should happen when you want it to happen.
So if you’re just getting started in the habit of journaling, like starting any other habit, be gentle with yourself and start slow if you need to. You might find that writing weekly or even biweekly is all that you can manage, and that’s okay.
Celiac Disease Journal Prompts
Now that we’ve discussed the why, what, and how of journaling, you’re ready for some celiac disease-related journal prompts! Remember, journaling should be about you and what you need, so don’t feel pressure to answer all or any of these. The purpose of this list is to spark inspiration and to help spark exploration into your emotions around your diagnosis.
- Who am I without celiac disease?
- Who am I with celiac disease?
- How did I change when I was diagnosed with celiac?
- How am I the same after being diagnosed?
- What positive things have I learned about myself on my healing journey?
- What do I do or feel when I’ve been exposed to gluten?
- What do I need when I’ve been exposed to gluten? What can comfort me?
- How do other people make me feel about my celiac disease?
- Where and how can I find support for my celiac disease and needs?
- Who understands my celiac disease needs and supports me?
- How can I help others understand my celiac disease?
- What do I not feel comfortable explaining about my celiac disease?
- How do my finances play into my celiac disease?
- How does my celiac disease impact my life?
- How does my celiac disease impact my mental health?
- How does my illness impact my social life?
- What do I love about my body?
- What do I need to feel happy daily?
- What do I need to feel happy long-term?
- What can I do to feel safe when eating out of the house?
- What do I want to say to loved ones who don’t support me?
- What makes me nervous when it comes to my celiac disease?
- Is there anything I can do to help calm my nerves?
Happy Journaling!