Journaling is essentially another word for “writing”, but there is a fine line between the two. When you journal, you put your thoughts on paper – messy, brilliant, crazy, ridiculous as they may be.
Turns out, this is actually a healthy coping mechanism for many things, and it is something that a lot of people enjoy doing.
Your diary becomes the emotional or psychological outhouse for all the things you keep inside.
And as with all self-care routines, taking care of your mental health subsequently results in positive physical effects.
You can journal anything from:
- The day’s events
- The nagging thoughts at the back of your mind
- Problems or dilemmas you’ve had to go through; or
- The decision that led to that awful (or amazing) dinner you had last night
Here’s the awesome thing:
Simply by putting pen to paper, studies have proven that getting into this great habit helps to heal, reduce stress, improve mental health, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
Pretty neat, right?
Benefits of Journaling Explained
1: Heal Psychological Trauma
The one thing that a lot of studies agree on is that regularly writing down your thoughts helps to heal psychological wounds.
In one study, journaling even helps in recovering from actual, physical wounds too. Participants who wrote about the stressful events in their lives showed more improvements in their wounds than those who didn’t.
It is often said that the golden rule in all roads to recovery is: To determine the root of the problem before you start fixing it.
Letting your thoughts flow freely on paper (or on your phone) is one of the ways (or roads) you can do this.It’s easier to acknowledge the traumatic event when it’s right in front of you
This gives you the opportunity to view it rationally and think more positively about the situation, and how you want to handle it.
Only then can you begin the healing process.
In her book “The Healing Power of Writing”, Susan Borkin describes journaling as “any type of writing or related expressive process used for the purposes of psychological healing or growth.”
Borkin also explains that in journaling, you can approach the subject of the matter from a first- or third-person perspective. No reason your diary entry has to always begin with “Dear Diary”.
And we like how she offers a holistic take on the habit of journaling – that it’s for just about anyone.
It is also often shared that people who find it difficult to express themselves, or sharing their innermost feelings and thoughts, or have trouble communicating in general can also benefit from journaling.
2: Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Writing down your problems or about the day’s event releases the tension you’ve been carrying around all day long, and it instantly helps to make you feel calmer.
Although sometimes, things are easier said than done. In a day, you face numerous challenges that are bound to induce stress. A job? Kids? That bill you left on the counter?
If you can live with a little stress, that’s great for you. For some people, stress can feel overwhelming and causes an impediment to work, studies or daily life. This is where a journal can come in handy.
Look at it as a healthy outlet to let out the things you keep inside.
Much like addressing the racing thoughts in your head, jotting down the problems or the situations you find challenging can help you make some sense of them.
From there, you’ll see a clearer picture of what you’re facing.
Feeling the urge to write yet?
3: Boost Mental Health
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), mental health is “the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being”.
When you’re mentally affected, your physical health is at risk. Findings in a study show that poor mental health like anxiety can affect the body in such a way that smoking would.
Improving mental health can make you feel better instantly.
And who doesn’t like feeling good? Better moods, stronger resilience, a heightened sense of self.
Wait, stronger resilience? You read that right.
By writing regularly, it trains your mind to reflect on your day. You take your mind back to the morning of, when you made a good cup of coffee and you’re probably thinking about how good the coffee tastes at the back of your throat right about…. now.
Journaling also helps improve your memory. As Becky Kane puts in her article about getting into this habit, “[Journaling] can be used to train our attention and strengthen neural pathways.”
Writing creates a stronger mind – you focus better, are able to retain more information, and can think and process smarter.
4: Unleash Creativity
Allowing yourself to truly feel your emotions and understand your thoughts as you write them down — this opens a door to your naturally creative self.
If you’re an artist, journaling can improve or define your art.
The more you feel and jot down, the more you may feel inspired by the things that you experience.
If you’re a writer like I am, opening this door unleashes a world of great vocabulary and creativity in the way you write. It gives you a challenge to write in ways you normally wouldn’t.
For example, today, I chose to write this in first-person.
It’s like that famous expression about getting better at something, “practice makes perfect”.
- What better way to improve your writing than to do it for a short amount of time a day, or for however long you like?
- By entering this state of mind each time you journal (or the “writing mindset”), you progressively reach a certain period where writing feels almost like an instinct.
- It also isn’t just about giving yourself the chance to be better.
- Writing regularly can help improve communication skills.
Although what you write is only for your eyes, take this as an opportunity to analyse the way you write, or the way your thoughts flow through your mind.
How do you feel from the tonality that you use in your journal? Would you find yourself approachable IRL?
With journaling, it becomes easier to criticize yourself.
But don’t get carried away – we’re all human.
We all have flaws, and we all can work on them. Instead, look at your entries as your life lessons. Lesson no. 1 = day 1, etc.
After a while, you may find it easier to lament complicated issues, or to talk about complex situations. This isn’t surprising either, especially since writing helps in improving the way you see and solve problems.
5: Enhance Problem-solving Skills
The Brain-Dominance theory shows that all of us are dominated by one hemisphere of our brain – the left or the right. While the right side of our brain allows us to function creatively, the left side helps us with our thinking processes and analytical skills.
Doing logical work that requires thinking, like mathematics?
You’ll find that your left hemisphere lights up almost instantaneously. It is engaged.
Especially when faced with problems, most of us tend to turn on our fight-or-flight mode. This is completely natural.
All living things – big or friendly or scary – will naturally have this defense mechanism in ourselves to solve the problem head on – or get out of there.
In a natural setting, we’d probably run. But in the modern world, what if you’re faced with a problem you can’t run from?
Regular journaling allows for regular self-reflection, or “checking in” on yourself. It’s like holding up a mirror.
By writing down your innermost feelings,you can look at the bigger picture and think clearly about how you want to move on from here.
Sound familiar? This is you (and all of us) trying to solve a problem.
“Journals proved to be invaluable tools for examining past experiences, evaluating their own actions, and drawing insights for encountering future challenges,” says Kane.
Writing gives you the opportunity to self-reflect. I say, take it.
BY THE WAY: There are other ways to engage your right/left brain balance, enter flow state and unlease creativitiy. The best way I’ve found is a natural nootropic compound that I wrote an entire review about here.
6: Promote Better Sleep
Though the idea of writing after a long, busy day may seem a little tiresome, putting aside as little as 15 minutes a day to write in your journal may prove effective in getting a good night’s sleep.
A familiar scenario in a modern day: Your teeth’s brushed, your bed looks inviting and so you hop in – only to find your mind scurrying about, reflecting on the events of the day.
Eliminate the problem, says Leigh Horan. Her article explains that the key to getting enough rest during the night is to lay your problems out before bedtime.
That way, you won’t spend an unnecessary amount of time worrying in bed.
Keeping a journal by your bed sounds like a good idea. The expression “out of sight, out of mind” is not for nothing – seeing your journal by your bedside reminds you of your daily journaling.
This could perhaps trigger your need to have an outlet for your worries before bed.
“By writing these worries down you help to structure your feelings in a more legible way, which can help you address the problem at hand,” writes Horan.
“Doing this, and avoiding the typical tossing and turning you usually endure means you’re more likely to see a return in energy, after achieving a night of solid rest.”
Besides getting the most out of your bedtime, it is also found that such a mentally stimulating exercise keeps your brain young.
Journaling engages your left brain as any other mental exercise – think sudoku puzzles, brain teasers. You are using brain power in a task, and boosts your mental skills.
With these benefits in mind, suddenly setting aside a few minutes a day to journal doesn’t seem so bad after all.
Especially when it means self-growth.
How often do I need to journal?
Some report weekly journaling, while others with more time on their hands write daily.
In this study, patients wrote for 20 minutes every day (for three days, but that’s besides the point).
What the researchers found was that by writing about the things that stresses them, their physical health showed signs of improvement.
And no signs of deteriorating.
In fact, writing for 15 minutes each day seems to be the recommended amount of time.
In Dr. Pennebaker’s research, he noted that excessive writing can cause it to have the opposite desired effect. It can start to feel more like a chore or a task instead of a therapeutic approach.
“My recommendation is to think of expressive writing as a life course correction,” he says. “As opposed to something you have committed to doing every day for the rest of your life.”
If you still feel unsatisfied after writing your problems down, try adopting other healthy ways to manage your troubles.
Once you get the problems out on paper, distancing yourself from it could be effective.
Taking a walk around the neighbourhood, listening to feel-good music or indulging yourself in an unwinding routine (go on, pick your best two!) can also benefit you.
What do I need to journal effectively?
Don’t start thinking about supplies. You don’t need colorful pens to begin journaling. Keep your highlighters back in the drawer. No, you don’t have to order the expensive ballpoint pen for $299.
Think: supply. Singular. Just the one.
A really good pen (& one that really helps with the flow of writing) is all you need to get you started.
For tech-lovers, sure. Have your phone ready with a note-taking app that doesn’t come with ads for less distraction.
Find yourself a quiet and comfortable spot where you can write without being distracted. Naturally this would mean away from the office, away from the crowd, and from your pet dog.
Most people begin with writing the date to set the scene. For accuracy (I believe), they also jot down the time (during which they wrote the particular entry).
The next bit is the challenge: Let your hand go.
Many articles say that in journaling, you write what comes to mind. Think of it as simply recalling the day’s events.
- What was the first thing you did this morning?
- What made your day today?
- What have you achieved today?
From there, let your thoughts flow and take up the remaining space on the page. Aim to fill at least half the page before you decide that you’re done.
For effective journaling, aim to also write an entry a day.
Take a different prompt each day instead of having to answer the same question over and over again each day.
This may create repetition – and you might find journaling to be a chore.
A total opposite of the desired effect.
One good thing to note is to switch up your journaling. From time to time, change the color of your pen.
Or find a new spot to journal. Have some fun with it, and add in sketches to symbolize what you’re feeling on that day.
Experimenting with it in different ways allows your mind to roam free.
Journaling can have a positive effect on you (and turn your life around). For the most part, at least now you have written entries about your past to laugh about in the future.
I know I did with mine!