Turn the Noise Down
A guided mental health journal
created for the metal community
When things feel loud, overwhelming, or impossible to sort through, it’s hard to know where to start. Thoughts overlap, emotions feel intense and your body feels both too much and nothing all at once.
For a lot of people in the metal community, this isn’t new. Feeling like the outsider and being misunderstood is the norm. Being told to “just deal with it” is part of what pushed many of us toward metal music in the first place.
This journal exists for those moments. Not to fix you or push you, but to help you slow things down enough to breathe and notice what’s actually happening inside.
What is Turn the Noise Down?
This is a downloadable guided journal designed to support emotional regulation and self-awareness when you’re overwhelmed.
Inside, you’ll be guided to:
Slow things down when your mind feels chaotic
Notice what feels loud instead of pushing it away
Check in with your body without judgement
Put words to what you’re carrying, even if it’s messy or unclear
Identify what helps, even a little
Clarify what you need right now, without pressure to act on it
Close each session gently instead of jumping straight back into life
You don’t have to move through it in order.
You don’t have to use every page.
Writing one word is just as valid as filling a page.
This is something you can return to whenever you need it, not something you complete once and put away.
If today feels louder than usual, this is something you can use right now.
This journal was created to offer something practical, not just talk about mental health.
As the metal mental health community has grown, it’s become harder to support people one-to-one in the way John would want to. This journal is his way of bridging that gap. It’s built around how he works in the therapy room: gently, honestly, and at your pace.
You don’t need the right words.
You don’t need to know where to start.
You don’t need to do this perfectly.
If this journal helps you feel a little more understood, a little more grounded, or a little less alone, then it’s doing its job.
Clear Expectations
This journal is not a replacement for therapy or professional support.
It’s not here to magically fix you or push you into things you’re not ready for.
It’s one tool. A companion. Something you can come back to when things feel too loud to hold on your own.
If anything that comes up feels like too much, you’re encouraged to pause, ground yourself, and seek additional support when needed. Asking for help is not weakness.