Journaling is a practice embraced by countless individuals for a variety of reasons. But when it comes to mental health, journaling offers some truly transformative benefits. Today, let’s dive into how putting pen to paper can enhance your mental well-being and serve as a valuable tool in your daily life.
Types of journaling
Journaling is a personal experience, and everyone finds their own way to make it a beneficial practice. For some, journaling is a way to record everyday happenings and events. For others, journaling provides a way to process feelings through creative writing.
However, when it comes to your mental health, there are two different approaches that might be more effective than others.
- Emotional or expressive journaling: This type of journaling focuses more on the emotional experiences rather than events, people or objects. According to Psych Central, “Emotional writing significantly decreased symptoms of depression, while the more mundane writing didn’t.”
- Gratitude journaling: This type of journaling focuses on the positive aspects of life, while capturing specific situations, events, or people that we are grateful for. Research suggests that practicing gratitude on a regular basis can have a positive impact on mental health. It can also help counteract negative thought patterns.
Benefits of journaling
There are several benefits to keeping a journal. Some of these include:
- Reduced anxiety
- Helps minimize the cycle of obsessive thinking, overthinking, and catastrophizing
- Improved awareness and perception of events
- Regulation of emotions
- Encourages awareness
- Helps improve physical health
“Journaling can help you cope with rumination by allowing you to externalize your anxious thoughts, put them into words, and then put them aside rather than letting them become an obsession.” –Psych Central
Helps process thoughts and emotions
While overthinking and replaying interactions, our brains can often make us believe things that aren’t true. Writing out your feelings onto paper can lighten your mental load. It can also be beneficial to read back what you have written so that you can reflect, and better understand your feelings. Keep track of your symptoms, and what you did, so that you can learn what does and doesn’t work for your anxiety.
Journalling daily will allow you to express yourself free of judgement and is a wonderful tool to use not only for yourself, but if you are currently in, or considering, therapy so that you have a record of what you have experienced, and what you have tried to combat those feelings.
Helps with better sleep
Keep a journal by your bedside for those times your mind doesn’t want to shut off. Rather than allowing yourself to spiral further into your thoughts, grab a pen and start writing down what you are thinking and feeling. Sometimes the simple act of jotting it all down on paper will help clear and calm your mind enough to be able to go to sleep. In the morning, you can reflect on what you wrote, which might help you deal with certain stressors during the day.
Helps you to recognize your tolerance
Everyone has a different tolerance for the number of stimuli they can handle before experiencing overstimulation. One way to help with this is to pay attention to the types of sensory input that you find overwhelming. Write it down and keep track of what you find triggering. Understanding your tolerance can help you recognize the things that make you feel overstimulated so that you can try to avoid them, or implement sensory breaks as needed to help.
A helpful app for tech lovers
MoodKit is great for helping with positive thoughts, reducing stress, and tracking your mood. Using techniques often seen in cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), which helps provide tools to manage current issues, it also includes a journal where you can track your feelings, thoughts, and ways in which you manage stress.
The best approach is to simply start writing. Don’t worry about for how long, how often, or what you are putting to paper. Rather, allow yourself the space to simply put your thoughts outside of your mind. From writing about a specific situation to what you are feeling grateful for, there is no right or wrong way to journal. Find what works for you and implement that into your daily routine.
