Are you feeling stuck or disorganized? Are you having trouble overcoming feelings of anger or frustration? Or are you facing challenges and not certain about how to get started?

If you want to somehow turn things around, a great starting point is to begin writing in a journal. I doesn't matter what kind of book you use, whether it's a spiral notebook like you had in grade school or a lush leather-bound volume.

Some people prefer to keep a journal in the form of a computer file, but research suggests that we might tap into deeper levels of creativity if we keep our journals the old fashioned way, in long-hand.

If you want to engage both your right and left brain, and perhaps delve into deep layers of consciousness, enhance your written text with drawings or diagrams. Even if you are not artistic, you might add layers of meaning to your writing by using colored inks, or pasting in clippings, or emphasizing your points with stick-on stamps.

Once you have your book ready, the next step is to just start writing. As you begin, consider these techniques:

• Keep a diary. Many people maintain a journal in the form of a daily diary. Writing each entry may help you to put the day's events in perspective, and feel better able to face tomorrow.
  
  
• Ask questions. An effective way to explore your deeper feelings and desires is to ask yourself questions and write out your answers. Sometimes writing an answer to the same question for several days in a row will help you discover wisdom that has been just beyond your reach. Pose open-ended questions like, “how do I feel about this?” Or “why does this make me so angry?”
  
  
• Change habits.If you're working toward a goal, keeping a journal of your progress can help you to stay committed and on track. Start by stating a specific milestone, identify the first steps in that direction, then note what you do each day. For example, keeping a daily log of food and exercise can help you to lose weight.
  
  
• Heal yourself. Research suggests that writing in a journal about your deepest emotions and anxieties actually can bolster your immune function and reduce chronic pain. In one study, seriously ill patients who wrote about their illness for 20 minutes, three times a week, were able to reduce their symptoms and get well faster than those in the control group.
  
  
• Honor your own achievements. Particularly if you tend to be hard on yourself, consider using your journal to bring your self-evaluation back into balance. Make lists of your skills, strengths and accomplishments. Ask yourself about your greatest areas of knowledge and expertise.
  
  
• Soothe with gratitude. Our brains are wired so that we can't feel anxious at the same time that we're experiencing gratitude. That is one reason that focusing on things you appreciate has the power to make you feel better. To reduce stress and develop a more positive attitude, fill your journal with lists of the things and people for which you are grateful.
  
  
• Pray. To enrich your spiritual life, use your journal for building a tighter relationship with God. One approach is to write letters to God, or the Universe, or any power that is greater than yourself. To take it even further, try writing your own loving responses to your prayerful self.
  
  
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