Five Benefits of Journaling and How to Start by Kimaya Kapuwatte
Journaling is as simple as putting pen to paper to keep record of your thoughts. Although in our day and age, you can keep a digital journal on your phone! Writing or drawing allows us the freedom to explore our experiences, and the emotions we feel around them. By expressing our thoughts and feelings, journaling assists us to reflect and grow as individuals, really allowing us to clear our minds by transferring the weight of our thoughts, positive of negative onto the page.
You may have had a diary when you were younger, sharing the conflicts of friendships, what you had for lunch or the excitement of starting school holidays. Recording our experiences is in our human nature, dating back to ancient times as people recorded their emotions and experiences into stone and clay. As we grow older, the act of journaling can evolve into a powerful tool for expression, enhancing our emotional well-being by assisting us process emotion and gain clarity on our thoughts.
We live in a busy world where we can become easily overwhelmed by both uplifting and challenging experiences. By journaling our feelings toward experiences in our personal lives, we are offered a quiet space to reconnect with ourselves benefitting our overall well-being. In addition to offering a space for reflection, journaling brings a range of other benefits that can enhance our mental and emotional wellbeing.
Here are five key benefits of journaling:
1. Strengthens Emotional Functioning
Expressive writing can lead to a reduction in emotional distress and improve overall psychological health. As journaling becomes a habit, we become more in touch with our emotions. Journaling requires us to remain present, promoting mindfulness, emotional regulation and a sense of self-identity. It highlights personal growth and patterns enhancing our emotional health.
2. Improves Immune Functioning
Interestingly, journaling has been linked to a range of physical health benefits, indicating that expressive writing about experiences can improve immune system functioning by promoting improved sleep and reducing stress lowering the likelihood of illness.
3. Reduces Stress
Journaling is a great tool to manage stress. Writing about stressful experiences can assist in managing them in a healthy way. Research conducted highlighted that identifying stressors and confronting unresolved issues through writing about them for only 15 minutes over four consecutive days reduced the physical symptoms associated with stress.
4. Increases Working Memory Capacity
When you write things by hand, your brain is able to process it more efficiently improving memory and critical thinking. By consistently writing we can better consolidate and retain information improving both short and long-term memory.
5. Boosts Mood
Journaling offers a form of emotional catharsis helping process difficult feelings and gain perspective, this self-reflection can foster a sense of clarity and control elevating our mood. Gratitude journaling particularly can boost mood by aiming to identity the good, noticing the positive creates a shift in mindset fostering a more positive outlook.
Now that you’ve read a few benefits, how do you start journaling? Starting a journaling practice can be simple and rewarding, especially when you find an approach that suits you best.
Here are a few journaling tips to get started:
1. Choose your Journaling Style
- You can begin by exploring the various types of journaling there are. For example, gratitude journaling involves writing down things you are thankful for every day, cultivating positivity and appreciation for your life experiences. This may be useful if you’re someone feeling burnt out or wanting to create stronger relationships.
- If you’re not too interested in writing, you can create a video journal and verbally express your thoughts.
- Or you may simply choose to keep a diary where you freely write without structure or editing, allowing your thoughts to naturally flow.
- Experiment to see which type resonates with you.
2. Establish a Consistent Journaling Routine
- When you start journaling, it is helpful to date your entries so you can track progress overtime and how you were feeling in that moment.
- You should also try to write regularly to build a habit of journaling, even if it is a few sentences a day.
3. Use Guided Journals for Inspiration
- If you’re still feeling sceptical and unsure about what suits you best or how to begin, you may find it useful to invest in a guided journal. One which I recommend is a ‘Sentence A Day’ journal from Kikki.K. This guided journal prompts your writing my proving a question to go off, this could be a simpler question such as “What’s the weather like today?” or a question which requires a more thought out answer such as “How do you feel right now? or “what are 3 of your goals for this year?”.
- Kmart also has a range of guided journals to choose from. One which I like is the ‘Self-Care Journal – How to make the most of your one amazing life’, this guided journal encourages a journey of self-discovery including self-care cards, questions prompting you to think about yourself and more, ultimately leading you to a more nurtured self.
Whichever way you choose to journal, it is a powerful tool that offers benefits to your well-being.
Kimaya Kapuwatte
References
Baikie, K.A., & Wilhelm, K. (2005). Emotional and psychical health benefits of expressive writing. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 11, 338-346.
https://doi.org/10.1192/apt.11.5.338
Bryson, D. (2021). Continuing professional development and journaling. Journal of Visual Communication in Medicine, 44(4), 198-200.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17453054.2021.1974292
Sohal, M., Singh, P., Dhillon, B.S., & Gill, H.S. (2022). Efficacy of journaling in the management of mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Family Medicine and Community Health, 10(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1136/fmch-2021-001154