Journalling has been proven to help with anxiety, depression, stress management and other conditions.
One of the main ways that journalling does this is simply by helping us to better identify what we’re thinking, feeling and experiencing
Very often, we are not aware of the thoughts, emotions, etc. that are affecting us. If we’re not aware of these, we can’t change them.
But by writing about them, we can also understand and accept them
Research has shown that journaling also offers:
- Emotional catharsis
- Increased cognitive processing
- Repeated exposure
- Emotional inhibition
Some tips that can be useful for developing a journalling habit:
- Pick a time of day that suits you best to write in your journal.
- Start small. Begin by writing for only a few minutes on a subject of your choice. You can spend more time on it as you get more comfortable with it.
- Write “in your own voice”. Remember that nobody but you will look at this journal. So write however you want and in whatever way feels most comfortable to you.
- Journalling is not always easy. You may feel upset if you’re writing about something upsetting. And that’s ok. Take a break if you need to.