Why I Started Journaling In 2022
I honestly feel a bit weird writing a post about this, but as someone who struggles daily with mental health issues, it felt kind of important to share. “What’s so important about journaling?” Well, nothing really but it’s something I’ve used for the last few weeks as a way to release unwanted thoughts and feelings. I know the term journaling can bring up images of being in junior high school and writing about a crush in a book with a lock. Trust me I remember those days and when journaling was recommended to me I scoffed. I don’t necessarily like talking about the struggles I have on a daily basis not here nor with people really something which, over time, can feel really lonely and isolating.
Just before New Year’s Eve I thought why not try something new? So I bought a gratitude journal that encourages one to sit for 5 minutes and answer a prompt that allows for reflection and gratitude. I considered it kind of baby steps into journaling since there is a prompt and it helps me escape whatever negative thought processes are currently happening. At first, it felt a little strange telling a little book 3 happy things that happened today, but it helped me focus on things I might have missed. Even something as simple as my dog made me laugh when she hopped across the room at dinnertime. I will admit that it took some getting used to as part of my nightly routine. But I can admit whether I strictly do the 5 minutes of gratitude with a prompt or try a more long-form entry on paper on a rather tough day, it has helped me. I don’t have a favorite way to journal but long journal entries help me get out all my negative thoughts and analyze them. A trick a therapist taught me is asking myself “why do I feel this way?” and “Do I have evidence of this?”
Since I am not a mental health expert, and should you need help please seek assistance or a trustworthy friend, I just wanted to talk about some of the reasons I started journaling and how it’s beneficial to mental health using some research from Positive Psychology. First, let’s cover the basics: What is Journaling?
What is Journaling?
You may know journaling is a practice of writing. Whether it’s thoughts, feelings, or just a rundown of one’s day. Effective journaling helps improve one’s life by helping them determine life goals, direction, clear the head, and make important connections between thoughts and feelings. Journaling requires the use of the left side of the brain - the side that controls rational thought. This frees up the right side to flourish with creativity and well-being. Journaling enables one to take their trauma, experiences, thoughts, and feelings to page. With this, it is easier to determine how and why certain things are triggering and how patterns of negative thinking begin to happen.
3 Ways Journaling Has Helped Me (So Far)
Eases My Anxiety
Anxiety can be a sneaky and pesky visitor. It’s typically entirely unwanted and stops by to visit at times I really wish it wouldn’t. Journaling helps me calm down because my brain is focused on the task at hand rather than floating from thought to thought. It clears my mind, gets rid of the pent-up feelings/energy, and releases the negativity floating around inside. Journaling has let me look at what I’ve written through the exercise and analyze it with a new wavelength. With the negativity gone, I can look at what I’ve said objectively and ask myself why I think these things. Are they true? Who told me these things? What is the actual evidence behind what I’ve said - if there even is any. Am I only seeing this in a negative way and missing the positive aspects of it? Taking a look at things more objectively helps me track where my brain is at. No two journal entries are the same and something that severely bothered me or made me anxious previously may not bother me as much or I’ve found the lesson within it. Or, at the very least, realize I was being pretty out of line.
Relieves Stress
I’m the type of person to, as my mom says, “blow and go.” I keep everything pent up and explode at once which happens with stress, especially work stress, a lot. It’s so bad sometimes I have a 5-minute email response delay rule so I don’t say something I shouldn’t. Journaling has helped me with stress in two ways. First, when something is bothering me I can examine just what is bothering me about a particular situation, person, or stressor. Which, similar to anxiety, allows me to look at it differently and find an approach that will work to solve the issue. Second, this helps with my to-do list. I have taken to spending an extra 5 minutes to determine tasks, priorities, and items that can be put off for a later date. Taking a look at what is actively causing me unneeded stress and how to plan for triggers or other issues allows me to find different outcomes and options I wouldn’t normally see with a clouded brain.
Photo by Samuel Austin on Unsplash
Cultivating Gratitude
Anyone who knows me knows I can find a silver lining in just about any situation except when it comes to my own situations. I always have some kind of positive advice or reinforcement, but shortly realized that never really applies to me. I constantly tear myself down and try to figure out what I am doing wrong to have caused things, that sometimes aren’t even in my control. Doing gratitude prompts whether in a journal activity or just jotting one down on my day planner, has given me a little more perspective and appreciation for the things that do go right. When depression and anxiety take hold, getting up and out to the gym consecutively is a small win. When someone likes my idea in a meeting or acknowledges my hard work, that is something I should appreciate not overthink. Anything I am doing to reach a goal of mine in my personal or professional life should be celebrated. There are so many articles out there talking about how showing gratitude to the Universe for all it’s provided to you enables the Universe to give one more. I hope that being more open and grateful can reap more of what I sow.
