Benefits of Journaling
If you’ve ever felt your brain is consumed and overwhelmed by thoughts, emotions and general daily modern life, then journaling could be just the thing to help you create some headspace.
The powerful benefits of daily journaling have been discussed in the personal growth arena for some time. But did you know that taking up a journaling practice can support your mental health, as well as offering you a whole host of emotional and physical benefits too?
If you’d like to know more about journaling benefits or are wondering how to start journaling for mental health, then read on to discover more.
Defining Journaling
Although most people have probably heard of it, many people still wonder, ‘What is journaling? Well, journal writing is the process of expressing thoughts and feelings through writing them down, and it can be an important way to express yourself, and process emotions that you may usually internalise.
It’s common for people to dismiss giving journaling a go, because they believe that it’s only professional writers that can journal. But this simply isn’t true. Anyone can give it a go; it is a personal experience which doesn’t need to be perfect or shared with others.
Journaling has been used for some time now by coaches and therapists, as part of an overall treatment for mental health issues. A journal is different to a diary in that your writing focuses on expressing yourself, whereas a diary tends to focus on recording experiences, usually in date order.
Journaling and the Brain
A regular practice of journaling can help to release negative thoughts and replace them with more positive ones. This is because adopting a journaling habit encourages the brain’s neurons to form new connections. This is called neuroplasticity or “rewiring” of the brain, which helps us to create positive change in our lives. The more we journal and reinforce positivity, the more our brains see this as normal. This in turn leads us to experience less stress, a more positive outlook, and feel more emotionally resilient.
Addressing Intrusive Thoughts
The process of journaling is a great way to ‘brain dump’ or offload thoughts that are intruding on your peace. So is journaling good for you? It is thought that by pouring out your thoughts onto paper, it helps to free up valuable thinking space for you to feel less overwhelmed, and more productive. Clearing your headspace is also linked with feeling less stressed, more organised, and having better focus.
The Impact on ADHD
Typically, ADHD can make it challenging to focus and organise thoughts and emotions, so journaling can be a powerful tool in helping to manage symptoms. There have been lots of studies into its effects on mental conditions, such as ADHD. Because journaling provides space for self-reflection, it helps a person gain deeper insight and understanding of themselves, and to process their emotions. Writing your experiences and feelings down will slow down your brain, and help you become more present. If you’re struggling to get to the bottom of what you’re feeling, journaling will help you organise your thoughts, and gain clarity on them.
Different Types of Journaling
The type of journaling you choose will depend on your reason for beginning journaling. Whether you’re journaling for mental health, or you want to become more organised, here are the main differences:
Gratitude Journaling
Gratitude practice is about looking for the good, and it’s no different when it comes to journaling. The focus here is on the positives, and in looking at life through a positive lens. Gratitude journaling can be a powerful way to enhance your life, motivating you to always find something to be grateful for.
Expressive Writing
This type of writing focuses on expressing thoughts and feelings exactly as they come, as a stream of consciousness. It’s about paying attention to feelings and letting them flow onto the page. It can be a great way to problem solve and gain insight into your emotions.
Bullet Journaling
Bullet journaling is an organisation method, which can help to organise thoughts and keep them all in one place. It’s common to log daily activities, diary events, goals, dreams and aspirations. It can be especially useful to be able to look back and track progress, and can also be a creative outlet.
Guided Journaling
When you’re new to journaling, using prompts can be a useful way to gain confidence in putting pen to paper. Using a guided journaling app with prompts can stimulate self reflection, and can open up opportunities for gaining insight into parts of your life that you’ve yet to connect with. Guided journaling will spark creativity and enhance your own potential.
Starting Your Journaling Journey
When it comes to how to start journaling, or how to journal for mental health, the best advice is always to start where you are. You don’t need to be a writer to express your thoughts, or to keep a journal.
Think about the type of journaling you would like to try. Are you looking to become more organised, feel less overwhelmed, or even process difficult experiences and emotions? Would you like to keep a health journal? Whichever type you decide to try, set aside time each day to commit to opening that journal and seeing where your mind takes you.
Many people feel overwhelmed when faced with a blank page, so it can be helpful to use journaling prompts. An example of this could be to write a letter to your younger self; what would you like to tell him/her now? Or you could find inspiration through a daily quote or words.
Morning pages originate from Julia Cameron, in her book The Artist’s Way. This is a style of free-writing that has no rules; it simply asks you to pour whatever comes to you, out onto the page. The idea is that when you start writing first thing in the morning, you’ll unlock your creativity and clear your mind from any negativity that is holding you back from fulfilling your potential.
Tangible and Intangible Benefits
The benefits of journaling have been studied and discussed by professionals for many years. There is much anecdotal evidence from users too, showing that journaling can be a powerful and transformative process for personal growth.
There are also many benefits of journaling for mental health. Journaling provides a safe space in which to explore thoughts and emotions, which helps increase clarity and reduce stress levels. The process of journaling is a great way to check in with yourself and increase your self awareness.
Journaling has even been linked with boosting the immune system. It has been found that the process of releasing negative experiences and thoughts onto paper appears to strengthen immune functioning.
Key Takeaways
Journaling is one of the easiest and most transformative ways to support your mental health and personal growth. By incorporating a journaling practice daily, you’ll find yourself feeling clearer, less overwhelmed by life, and even receive insights that you aren’t expecting. Making journaling a daily habit will have a profound impact on your ability to deal with daily stressors in life, and boost your emotional resilience too.
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