In previous posts, I have explored art journaling; ways to do it, why to do it, and what you need to do it. Today, though, I want to focus just on the journaling aspect. Maybe the thought of art journaling is too intimidating or scary. Maybe you have been told all your life that you can’t draw or be creative. If so, then let’s just talk about what journaling can do for you and your health.
There are many ways to keep a journal. The easiest and fastest way to do so is with a cheap lined notebook that you can keep handy. Here is the type I am talking about.
If you have never kept a journal, using something that you don’t consider “precious” is helpful. That way, you can write with abandon and not care if you make a mistake or make a mess. When you are journaling, you want to be able to write without thinking about your supplies, what you are writing, or if what you put on paper is grammatically correct. This is your place to express your feelings and thoughts, so just let them spill out onto your paper. No pressure, no rules, no worry.
Most girls I know have had a diary at some time in their lives. I know I did and I loved to write in mine until my older sister found my diary and read it out loud at the dinner table. It mortified me. I have had difficulty writing down anything personal ever since and I have struggled with feeling safe in my journals. It worked out. I used my journals to learn to trust again and to feel safe again, but it took me a very long time. Even now, as I grow into a senior, I experience moments when writing down my thoughts or feelings gives me a moments pause. It is okay. I just wait for it to pass and go on with my journaling.
Here is an excerpt from an article on the positive effects on your health from journaling:
Why is Journaling Good For You?
Journaling is a widely used non-pharmacological tool for coaching and counseling and the treatment of mental illness. Two forms of journaling are particularly commonplace in psychotherapy (Sohal et al., 2022):
- Expressive writing
Typically performed over three or four sessions to access the client’s innermost feelings and thoughts; focusing on the emotional experience than events, people, or objects.
- Gratitude journaling
Involving a focus on the positive aspects of life through capturing situations, events, and interactions for which we are grateful.
Keeping a record of personal thoughts and feelings is particularly helpful in supporting mental health by (WebMD.com, 2021):
- Reducing anxiety
- Breaking away from a nonstop cycle of obsessive thinking and brooding
- Improving the awareness and perception of events
- Regulating emotions
- Encouraging awareness
- Boosting physical health
The positive effects of journaling can even be felt when not performed daily – helping the individual better understand their needs and boosting their wellbeing (Tartakovsky, 2022).
Research on Journaling
Studies show that by capturing our thoughts and feelings on paper, “participants often reveal a considerable range and depth of emotional trauma” (Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005, p. 339).
Indeed, while the experience of writing can be upsetting, clients report they find it valuable and meaningful and, ultimately, a valuable part of the acceptance process.
In fact, based on client self-reports, research suggests a wide range of physical, cognitive, and emotional benefits from expressive writing (Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005):
- Lowered blood pressure
- Improved lung and liver function
- Less time spent in hospital
- Better moods
- Improved psychological wellbeing
- Fewer depressive and avoidance symptoms
- Reduced stress-related visits to the doctor
- Less work absenteeism
- Less time out of work following job loss
- Higher student grade averages
Not only that, but research into gratitude journaling suggests that “study participants who regularly drew their attention to aspects of their lives that made them feel blessed increased their positivity” (Fredrickson, 2010, p. 187). However, a caveat exists. Recording what makes us feel grateful every day can become monotonous, even zapping positivity. A few days a week may be sufficient.
There are scientific studies to determine the effects of journaling on the body. Some of the findings promote that journaling helps with anxiety and depression, with stress relief, can improve your memory, and may even boost your immunity. Here is an article about that.
When should you journal?
The quick answer is whenever you feel the need. I know that is a non-answer for most of us when we are looking for specifics. So, for us let’s examine when we need to journal.
The best thing is to decide you are going to journal daily (or weekly). Putting it down on your to do list or calendar can help, but if that feels to exposed, just make a mental agreement with yourself that you will journal at a designated rate–either daily or weekly. The next thing is to determine what time of day is the easiest and the best time for you. We all have internal schedules that we have to function around.
I am a morning person, so I would need to journal in the early morning when I have the most energy and my mind is clearest. My children are night owls and would then need to journal later in the evening because that is when they feel more energized and alert. You need to discover when you feel the most alert and clear headed. That may be the time you need to journal. Okay, let’s say that is in the middle of your work day. Bummer. However, journaling can be as simple as a single line, or as complex as you want. It really should not take you very long to write in your journal. If it does, you are thinking about it too hard. Find your time and make it work.
What should you put in a journal?
This is when it gets to be creative. There are so many ways to keep a journal that you may need to try them all out to see what works best for you. It may turn out that different types of journaling will work for you at different times during the week. I use many types of journaling throughout my week. It just depends on what my thoughts are and what is happening around me.
Let’s look at types of journaling:
Brain Dump Journaling:
The first type is called a “Brain Dump” and it is exactly what you think it is. You sit down and just put every thought in your head down on paper without any worry of thought about it. This type of journaling is good to get things out of your head and out of your way. I find that this type of journaling works for me when my inner critic starts to interfere with what I want to do. If I just pour out all the negative things my critic is saying to me onto paper, I can see it for what it is and move past it. You may find this type of journaling is helpful for you to get negative thoughts out in the open so you can see that they are just that, negative thoughts, and have no power over you.
Bullet Journaling:
The second type is call “Bullet Journaling” and there are many articles and videos available to you to explore this type. Basically, bullet journaling helps you to focus on tasks you need to get done without applying pressure on yourself. This type of journal helps you get or stay organized; it helps you set and keep your goals; it allows customization to meet your needs and not the needs of anyone else. It is a combination of lists and writing, as well as doodling and stickers. This allows both catharsis and progress in your day and also allows for some creativity on your part, but not quite like an art journal.
Gratitude Journaling:
The next type of journal is called a “Gratitude journal” and the focus here is to write about all the good things you have in your life and around you. Things that make you happy and things you truly are grateful for. This type of journal is beneficial for depression and anxiety because it removes the dark glasses and lets you focus on the light around you in your life. This journal can be as structured or unstructured as you want. Some people simply write one line a day to show that every day has something to be grateful for.
Diary type Journaling:
Another type of journal is the diary type of journal where you simply write about your day and all the things that happened to you as well as your thoughts and feelings related to those things. I find this type of journal is the hardest for me to keep because of my trust/safety issues. Because of this, I try to include this type of journaling interspersed in my weekly output.
Creativity Journaling:
There is a creativity journal where you write poetry, songs, doodle, draw as ways to express your feelings. This one is the closest to an art journal as you get. I think that if I am going to do this, I might as well be art journaling; but you may not feel that way. It’s okay because there are no rules.
List Journaling:
There is also a type of journal that is just lists. This is a good way to stay on top of things, but I don’t find it as useful personally. You, however, may absolutely love list making and choose to make this a way to journal.
I hope that you take away from this post that journaling is an individual process and can be as simple or as involved as you want it to be. There is no right or wrong way to journal except to not do it at all. Journaling frees your mind and soul, helps your body and makes you feel prepared for whatever life wants to throw at you. I highly encourage you to take this up as a way to execute some form of self-care. In today’s society, we all need to be able to do self-care to destress, control anger, and give us the break to breathe that we need. Journaling will do all of that and more.
