Journaling is the act of recording your personal thoughts, feelings, insights, and more. It will be written, drawn or typed. It will be on paper or in your computer. It's a straightforward and cheap technique to improve your mental health.
It's difficult to begin journaling. It can feel like work and the expectation of getting to put in writing daily can put some people off. But the positive effects of journaling will be felt even when it's not done daily.
Whether you're scuffling with school stress, work burnout, an illness, or anxiety, keeping a journal can assist in some ways:
It can reduce your anxiety. Recording your feelings is related to reduced psychological distress. In one study, researchers found that folks with various medical conditions and anxiety who wrote online for quarter-hour, three days per week over a 12-week period had increased well-being and fewer depressive symptoms after one month. Their mental well-being continued to enhance in the course of the 12 weeks of diary keeping.
It helps with rumination. Writing about an emotional event can assist you break out of the continual cycle of obsessively considering and ruminating about what happened—but timing is very important. Some studies show that writing a few traumatic event immediately after it occurs can actually make you're feeling worse.
It creates awareness. Writing down your feelings a few difficult situation can assist you understand it higher. The act of putting words to and structuring an experience means that you can develop latest perceptions about events.
It regulates emotions. Brain scans of people that wrote about their feelings showed that they were higher capable of control their emotions than those that wrote a few neutral experience. This study also found that abstract writing about feelings was more calming than vivid writing.
It promotes openness. Writing privately a few stressful event might encourage some to hunt social support. This can assist with emotional healing.
It can speed up physical healing. Journaling can even impact physical health. A study of 49 adults in New Zealand found that those that wrote for 20 minutes about their feelings during upsetting events healed faster after a biopsy than those that wrote about every day activities. Likewise, college students who wrote about stressful events were less prone to get sick than those that wrote about neutral topics like their room.
Women with breast cancer who wrote positively or expressively about their experiences with the disease had fewer physical symptoms and fewer cancer-related medical appointments. However, researchers also found that writing about negative emotions can increase levels of tension and depression.
Try it on paper first. Writing with pen and paper helps you process your feelings higher. It's also easier so as to add drawings on paper. But select what you might be more comfortable with and what's more comfortable for you.‌
Make it a habit. Choose a time of day that is nice for you. It might be the very first thing you do whenever you get up or the final thing you do before you fall asleep.
Keep it easy. When you're starting out, keep it easy. Journal for just a couple of minutes and set a timer. ‌
Do what feels right. There is not any hard and fast rule about what you need to write. It is your space to create whatever you must express your feelings. Don't worry about spelling or sentence structure or what other people might think. Some people may prefer to only write when something bothers them, but you need to do what feels best for you.
Write on all the pieces. While a fantastic notebook can encourage some, it could intimidate others. But it doesn't matter what you write about. This might be a selected diary, random scraps of paper, or your phone. If you don't feel like writing, you'll be able to even try a voice memo.‌
Get creative. You might not be sure where to begin with journaling, or it's possible you'll be hesitant if you happen to don't like writing. But journaling doesn't just must be about writing sentences. Try different formats. Write lists, write poetry, compose a song, write a letter, draw artwork, or try bullet journaling. You can even find journaling ideas online that may encourage you.
Try expressive writing. Writing about an event that was stressful or emotional for you'll be able to have a more positive impact in your mental health than simply journaling.
Start a gratitude journal. Giving thanks is nice for mental health. Start by listing three belongings you are grateful for. These will be small things like a walk within the park, a delicious cup of coffee or good weather. You could make a listing or write complete sentences. Details can assist you relive the positive moments of your day. How did the sunshine feel in your face? What feelings did the smell of coffee trigger?
Don't set your expectations too high. A journal won't solve all of your problems. It is just not a therapist or counselor. But it could assist you learn more about yourself.