What is journaling?
Journaling is the expression of thoughts and emotions. Journaling can be done in many forms such as handwriting in a notebook, typing on a computer, or through other forms of creative expression such as drawing. The practice of journaling is not a rigid and defined practice. There is no right or wrong way to journal! The practice of journaling has been proven to reduce mental distress and improve psychological and physical wellbeing (Smyth et al., 2018). Journaling can be utilized to improve symptoms of mental health conditions and sustain practices that promote mental well-being.
How can journaling improve my mental health?
- Processing of events and emotions-Journaling can include writing about events that have occurred that have contributed to mental distress. Journaling about life events can help alleviate stress and express feelings that may be otherwise difficult to discuss or acknowledge. The culmination of these journal entries can help identify behavior patterns, triggers, and distorted cognitions. They can also show what coping strategies have been effective and where behavior modifications have been successful.
- Tracking-Journaling can also be used to track moods, behaviors, and symptoms. Sometimes it is difficult to understand why we feel the way we feel or do the things we do. Journaling can be used to track these things to help target therapies to improve mental health. For example, writing down the events in the day before an anxiety attack occurs may help to identify triggers, and where you need help developing coping skills. Furthermore, tracking mood along with feelings, symptoms, and behaviors can assist the individual in recognizing symptoms for future episodes and seeking mental health services early. This can be especially beneficial to the patient recently diagnosed bipolar who is learning to recognize a manic episode or in recognizing symptoms that a panic attack is about to occur and how to mitigate it.
- Improving Self-Talk: The way we think about ourselves, perceive events, and the inner dialogue we have about ourselves within our mind is called self-talk. Have you ever had a situation where you thought something was being negatively directed at you only to later discover that wasn’t the case at all? The unspoken dialogue every person has about themselves impacts the way we process life events and behaviors of others and affects our own actions and behaviors. Negative self-talk has a profound impact on mood and overall mental health. Writing down the things we think about ourselves, the thoughts we have throughout the course of the day, and the way we handle situations can help spotlight areas where negative self-talk has impacted our mental health.
- Promoting Positive Thought Processes: Journaling does not always have to be the expression of negative feelings or emotions. In fact, a recent study showed that gratitude journaling decreased depression and anxiety symptoms in two weeks with a more significant improvement over six months (Roche et al., 2023). But what is gratitude journaling? It is the practice of expressing positive thoughts and emotions. This may be expressed by listing things you are thankful for or talking about positive traits you have. Regardless of what the items of gratitude are, routine expression of gratitude has been shown to promote positive thought processes and improve mood and mental well-being.
Where do I start?
- Pick how you are going to keep your journal. Do you prefer to handwrite your journal entries? If so, obtain a notebook or designated journal. Ensure you store your journal in a safe, private place, or obtain a journal that has a lock. Do you prefer to type your journal? Journals can be kept on computers, laptops, and tablets. You can also designate a password to the file you store them in, so your entries are kept private and only accessible to you.
- Commit to a schedule. There is no magic formula for how often you journal or for what length of time. What is important is establishing a routine schedule that you can commit to for consistency. For example, setting aside five to ten minutes twice a week to write in your journal can be a good starting goal. Setting a reminder alarm on your phone for these designated times or making it part of a to-do list for the day are just a few examples of ways to ensure you prioritize journaling and keep yourself on track.
- Choose something to start with. Easier said than done, right? Most people have numerous things impacting their mental health and deciding where to start when journaling can be difficult. Below are some ideas to get you started if you are struggling with what to journal about.
- Journal about your day. Write about one thing that went well during your day or that you have gratitude for and one thing that caused you stress or could have gone better. Releasing feelings and emotions about our current situation can help ground our journaling journey and give insight into daily items that are positively and negatively impacting our mental health.
- Select a prompt. The internet is packed full of journal prompt ideas. This is a great way to start journaling especially if you are stumped for what to write about. A simple Google search will yield thousands of prompts. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
- Imagine the best version of yourself exists a year from now. Describe that person. Discuss the last stressful event that took place in your life. Describe what you were feeling. What emotions were you having? What physical symptoms did you experience? What are the top three things you value most in any relationship? What made you choose these three things? Close your eyes for a moment and picture yourself in the place you feel the calmest and at peace. Now, using your five senses describe the place. Describe what you see, hear, smell, taste, and can touch in this place. If you had to choose two things that are keeping you from achieving your best mental health, what would they be? How do those two things affect your life every day?
- Discuss topics with a therapist/counselor. Journals are private entries that you decide whether or not you want to share the contents of and with whom. However, if you are in therapy or counseling it can be beneficial to share with your therapist/counselor that you have started journaling. This can be useful in the therapeutic process and your therapist/counselor can assist you in establishing things to write about or goals to establish for journaling.
- Select a prompt. The internet is packed full of journal prompt ideas. This is a great way to start journaling especially if you are stumped for what to write about. A simple Google search will yield thousands of prompts. Here’s a few ideas to get you started:
Reflection and Insight
A significant benefit to journaling on a regular basis is the opportunity it presents to reflect and gain insight into our mental health. Reading through previous journal entries can help you see the progress that has been made in implementing coping strategies, improvement in previous distorted cognitions, and changes in behaviors. It can be difficult to see just how much progress has been made to your mental health on a day-to-day basis. However, reflecting on journal entries made over time can help provide better insight into how much progress you have really made. It can also help to highlight areas where you are still struggling, and where more support is needed. Some questions to consider when reflecting on journal entries may include:
- If this event or situation happened again today, what would I do differently?
- Are there any identifiable themes or behavior patterns I recognize throughout my journal entries?
- Identify three things throughout your journal entries you are proud of.
- Has the way I think or talk about myself changed, and in what ways?
- Is there any correlation between what my mood is and how often I am journaling?
- Is there anything I want to change about my future journaling practice?
References
Roche, K., Mulchan, S., Ayr-Volta, L., Elias, M., Brimacombe, M., Morelle, C., & Hinderer, K. (2023). Pilot study on the impact of gratitude journaling or cognitive strategies on health care workers. Journal of Pediatric Healthcare, 37(4), 414-424. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2023.02.002
Smyth, J., Johnson, J., Auer, B., Lehman, E., Talamo, G., & Sciamanna, C. (2018). Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary randomized control trial. JMIR Mental Health, 5(4), e11290. https://doi.org/10.2196/11290
Author: D. Smith
*This content is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not intended to substitute/replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.