Book Review: Let it Out - Katie Dalebout

This month I was blessed to stumble across a new book on journaling - 'Let it Out' by Katie Dalebout. After reading My Mad Fat Diary last month, I was inspired to try my hand at journaling and keep my own journal to chart my mental health journey.

Essentially, journaling is writing frequently. For many people, their blog is their journal. But it is difficult to be 100% honest with yourself on such a public platform. Despite sharing details about my mental illness online, I also need a more private reflection to capture my daily struggles, frustrations, setbacks, achievements and gratitudes.
It’s a personal diary, so to speak.

And Katie Dalebout’s ‘Let it Out’ is exactly the book I needed to guide me along my journaling path.

Having struggled for many years with an eating disorder, Katie managed to steer her way towards recovery by keeping a journal. Well, to be more precise, multiple journals. She wrote to find peace, overcome negative thinking and self-doubt, and find herself again. At 22 Katie gained a book deal and could pursue her dream of sharing the power of writing with people around the world – and so, ‘Let it Out’ was born.

The book details Katie’s own transformative experience through journaling. She also inspires anyone who hasn’t given it a go to pick up a pen and a notebook and get started. Whether it’s to establish your values and goals, or to work your way through a break-up, the book covers just about any topic you may want to blog about. The book’s Tool Kit contains a number of journaling exercises to help you write your way to recovery.

Some of the exercises are as simple as creating a Daily Prioritizer. But just because it’s simple doesn’t mean I haven’t been using it every day since. In fact, I’ve found Katie’s Tool Kit not only practicable, but I have really enjoyed working my way through the writing challenges so far. There are so many inspiring journaling prompts in the book that it’s impossible to complete them all straight away. Some of them I’m saving for a rainy day; or to be more precise, for when they will be applicable to my life.

‘Let it Out’ includes tips for journaling such as;
 Get curious, dance with resistance and cultivate awareness.

And action plans like;
Admit it, Write it, Dive into to, Change it

As well as the Tool Kit to inspire and prompt you.

As someone who is new to journaling like me, this is the perfect companion to get you started. And for any oldies out there, it has just enough activities to continue inspiring you along your journey.

Have you tried journaling yet? Let me know in the comments below!