
A lot of us, heck, most of us probably struggle with stress and/or anxiety in one form or another, and it can be difficult to find ways to cope, especially on days that are extra challenging. Personally, we’re always on the lookout for small things we can do every day to make things just feel better. For some of us maybe we find solace in our skincare routine, for others it could be our daily walks, but for some of us, journaling was just the thing that was missing from our lives to help us reflect, and process, and move forward. If you’ve been on the search for something you can do daily to help your mental health, keep reading to learn more about journaling and the role it can play in your life.
(worry for nothing journal, buy here)
What Are the Benefits of Journaling?
Journaling has been proven to reduce stress. Studies show that taking the time, typically right before bed, to journal is an effective way to manage your stress. Whether you’re journaling with prompts or just letting your thoughts and feelings about the day spew onto the pages, writing about your day or certain events is a great way to not only process your emotions but allow you to put that stress on a page then close the book. (Symbolism, you know?)
It’s good for your brain! Journaling keeps your memory sharp and if you opt to journal with prompts, it can challenge you creatively as well. We also feel inclined to tell you that journaling doesn’t just entail words, art journals are a thing too and we love to see it.
Journaling allows you the opportunity to separate your thoughts and to separate yourself from your thoughts. Have you ever just felt like a Negative Nancy all day even though you know your brain was actually lying to you? We certainly have. Well, the cool thing about journaling is, that when you have these thoughts and then write them down and process them in a totally new and different way, you can separate yourself from these negative thoughts and think more clearly and rationally.
(my therapist told me to journal, buy here)
Okay, I’m In! How Do I Start?
Start by committing to writing every day. We recommend setting a timer and when that timer goes off you know it’s time to grab your journal and your pen and get to writing or drawing. You don’t have to write down every detail of the day, just write what you need to write, or draw what you need to draw.
Carry a notebook and pen around with you, then when something happens that you need to revisit later or you have a thought about, you can jot it down right then and there.
Never ever (ever ever) feel like your journal is a place where you need to censor yourself. Your journal is a judge-free zone, use it as such.