Written by: Caitlin Alfonso, LMSW
Journaling is often regarded as a go-to coping strategy and mental health support. It makes sense too, there is a lot of research supporting the positive benefits of journaling. Journaling has been shown to be a strong stress-relief tool. Professor and researcher Matthew D. Lieberman used the following metaphor: putting feelings into words is like a car breaking at a yellow light (Intelligent Change, 2024). This means that journaling allows us to organize our thoughts and become more in tune with our emotions; as a result, it often decreases the intensity of strong negative emotions. Plus, with the reduction of stress there are several positive physical benefits, including better sleep patterns, stronger immune systems, and more!
Despite the number of benefits, many people struggle with journaling. Some people find it hard to get into a routine and write regularly. Some feel overwhelmed with all the ways to journal. Others may find the experience “weird” and “uncomfortable”. While all these barriers are valid, there are some easy ways to navigate them.
Consistency of Writing
There is no set number of days you must journal. Some people prefer to write daily, and others prefer to write a couple of times or once a week. Start with a writing goal that is achievable for you and your schedule. You might consider starting with a goal to journal once a week, and then once that becomes routine you might naturally gravitate towards more weekly writing sessions.
Type of Journal
There is no right or wrong way to write a journal. The good news is there are a lot of styles of journaling. The bad news is there are a lot of styles of journaling. Therefore, it might take some trial and error on your part to find what works for you. Here are four types of journaling approaches you might consider trying:
- Expressive Journaling – This is a free-style approach to journaling. Take a blank page and just write about whatever is on your mind for 10-20 minutes. You might be surprised by what you write, and it may allow you to reflect and organize your thoughts and feelings.
- Prompted Journaling – Some people enjoy more structure and may benefit from prompted journaling. There are a variety of different journals with questions throughout them that can help the writer reflect on their day or explore different topics that they believe in.
- Gratitude Journal – This can be a beneficial and easy way to start your journaling journey. Simply write down three things you are grateful for a few times a day.
- Bullet Journaling –This style is an approach that uses journals with dots on the page instead of blank pages or lines. This style of journaling can be a great approach for organizing thoughts in more of a list method and incorporating doodling into your journal.
Uncomfortable Experience
For many, journaling can start off as an uncomfortable experience. It can be hard to sit with our thoughts and express them in this new format. However, it is important to keep an open mind to the process. Afterall, personal growth happens when we push ourselves out of our comfort zone. With all the positive benefits of journaling you have nothing to lose but a whole lot of gain!
Journaling is a tool that anyone can try as a form of self-care. Just like all forms of self-care, journaling is unique to the writer. So have some fun, try different styles and keep an open mind. Now, let’s get out that old-school paper and pen and give journaling a real try!
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Caitlin Alfonso is a lover of coffee, reading, traveling, and her dog, Remy. She is a Licensed Master Social Worker and owner of Acornic Consulting, LLC.