I write, therefore I am calm

Tell it slant
In her creative writing classes, Bender likes to quote Emily Dickinson, who wrote: "Tell all the truth but tell it slant." If you're having a hard time writing about what's on your mind, try approaching it differently. Write about what you see when you look out the window, but write from the perspective of a woman thinking about problems with her son, or her job, or whatever is bothering you. You might find it easier than trying to tackle the issue head-on.

Play games with yourself
Bender says people are often intimidated by the magnitude of starting, and keeping, a journal. She suggests using little tricks to prevent journaling from becoming a chore. "Give yourself only 15 minutes to write -- you can write a lot in those 15 minutes," she says. "Or limit yourself to writing only a page, or three pages. Just go back to where you left off next time." Bender also suggests buying a little notebook, so there is only a limited amount of page space, or if you're writing on the computer, restricting your word count to a certain number. Picking up the pen and writing can often be a huge undertaking, so huge you might not want to return to it anytime soon. By going slowly you ensure you won't be overwhelmed and turned off.

You can use your journal to answer life's problems, from climbing the corporate ladder to weight loss, or you can just start writing until you realize what it is that's bringing you down. "Writing down your experiences, recreating them, will bring insight," Bender says.

If you have more questions about starting a journal of your own, check out Bender's site www.writingitreal.com for insights and writing exercises from Bender, as well as fellow writers and journal-keepers.