6 Mental Health Benefits of Journaling & How to Start

Journaling is a healthy habit that can be a lifelong tool for emotional health and personal development. It's a straightforward, yet remarkably impactful way to process our emotions and reflect on what's happening in our lives. 

Journaling is easy and there’s no right or wrong approach, so anyone can learn to do it and use this practice anytime, anywhere to help with their mental health. But, if you’ve ever hesitated before a blank page, unsure of what to write or how to begin, this guide explores its wellness benefits and helps you get started. 

What is mental wellness journaling?

Mental wellness journaling is the practice of maintaining a written record of your thoughts, feelings, and experiences with the specific aim of improving your emotional and mental health. It's not merely a process of venting or recording events but an intentional activity that allows you to explore your inner thoughts, recognize patterns, and encourage growth.

The mental health benefits of journaling

Journaling reflects the good, the bad, and the overlooked aspects of your inner life. Here are six substantial ways that this mental health practice can uplift your emotional well-being.

1. Reduce stress
   When it feels like life is overwhelming, a journal can help you find balance and practice stress management. Writing about your worries can help you process and manage anxiety or stress as your stream of consciousness untangles the jumbled thoughts that often occur in your mind when you are emotionally distressed.
2. Regulate negative thoughts
   Negativity can be a powerful force that shapes our perception and, consequently, our experiences. Regularly expressing your negative thoughts in a journal can diffuse their intensity, making them easier to manage.
3. Process emotions
   Whether it's the aftermath of a breakup or the thrill of a promotion, journaling gives you the space to reflect on your experiences. This reflective practice helps to turn emotions into manageable narratives, contributing to a greater sense of control over one's life and mental health.
4. Feel happier
   You can’t pursue happiness without focusing on gratitude. A gratitude journal not only helps you hone in on the positive aspects of life but also rewires your brain to seek out and acknowledge the good things, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.
5. Deepen self-discovery
   Exploring your psyche through journaling can lead to meaningful insights into who you are and what motivates you. It's an opportunity to get to know yourself better and acknowledge the various layers that make up your identity.
6. Improve memory
   Keeping a journal sharpens memory and cognitive clarity. By regularly recalling and reflecting on past events, you’ll exercise your memory, reinforce neural pathways, and enhance your recollection.

Reflective writing can also elicit other benefits, including an increased I.Q. and an improved immune system.

How to start journaling for mental well-being

The best time to start journaling is now. Here's how you can begin:

• Start with a small, achievable goal, such as journaling for five minutes daily. Remember that it’s not about the content; it’s about the act of getting your thoughts down on paper.
• Make journaling a habit by doing something as simple as pairing it with your morning coffee or bedtime routine. The key to it becoming an ingrained part of your day is consistency.
• Be honest. Your journal is a judgment-free zone where you can release your thoughts without fear of criticism or rejection.
• Don’t be critical of yourself. This is a practice of self-reflection and exploration, so there are no right or wrong words.
• Start with a prompt if you're unsure of what to write. It can be a sentence, a question, or a quote that sparks your curiosity.

How to write about difficult topics

Approaching emotional topics in a journal requires a blend of courage and vulnerability. Your journal will help guide you through the complexity of your emotions. Here's how you can address some of the more difficult subjects in your journal.

Reflecting on disagreements

Writing about a disagreement gives you a perspective that's hard to come by when emotions are running high. It also gives you the chance to empathize with the perspective of the other person involved.

Ultimately, this practice fosters emotional intelligence, improves communication skills, and supports healthier relationships, by providing a private space to process and learn from conflicts.

What to do: Describe the situation, your emotions, and any insights you gained from the experience, including patterns in conflicts and responses or thoughts on underlying issues that may be contributing to recurring disagreements.

Healing from trauma

Journaling can be a safe avenue to express and process deeply personal and painful experiences. This act of writing becomes a form of self-therapy, allowing one to unpack the layers of trauma at their own pace and in a private space. 

Journaling about trauma offers the opportunity to track healing progress over time, enabling individuals to recognize growth and resilience. This reflective practice fosters a sense of control and empowerment over one's narrative, contributing to a stronger sense of self.

What to do: Find a safe place to write and start with guided prompts like ‘What feelings come up when I think about this event?’ or ‘How has this experience influenced my view of myself and others?’ 

While this will be hard, this should also be a positive experience. As you gain resilience and make progress in your personal growth, use your journal to reflect on and celebrate your accomplishments, no matter how small. It takes courage to confront these difficult memories, and that’s something to take pride in.

Follow this additional advice to ensure journaling serves as a beneficial tool for healing rather than inadvertently retraumatizing:

• Label sections with trigger warnings if certain topics or memories have the potential to cause distress when revisiting these parts in the future.
• Recognize when the process is becoming too overwhelming, and don't hesitate to stop. 

Remember: The goal is healing, not enduring additional distress.

Processing grief

Journaling about grief plays a crucial role in the mourning process, offering a private, reflective space for one to express and process the complex emotions associated with loss like sorrow, anger, guilt, or regret.

Journaling can also help individuals track their grieving process over time, recognizing patterns in their emotional landscape and identifying moments of resilience and healing amidst the pain. It may start as a method of coping, but it can lead to a significant step toward finding meaning after loss.

What to do: Consider starting with simple prompts such as, "Today, I feel..." or "I miss..." to gently ease into expressing more complex emotions and memories.

You can also write about:

• Your memories
• The moments of loss 
• The good times that bring both joy and sorrow
• The impact of the loss on your life
• Any lessons or strength you've gained through the experience

Journaling about grief gives you a space to understand and heal at your own pace.

Create balance by also celebrating the positives

Dedicate space for positive entries, too. This practice highlights your resilience and the presence of hope, even if it’s small victories or moments of happiness. 

Whether you’re journaling about challenging topics or not, you can write about the following to focus on positive things:

• Your hopes and dreams
• Daily successes
• Moments of joy
• Things you’re grateful for
• Personal growth achievements
• Acts of kindness, received or given
• Meaningful conversations you had
• A new skill, hobby, or interest
  

When you make it a habit to think about the good things in your life and what you've accomplished, you can cultivate a mindset that fosters healing and encourages a deeper appreciation for life experiences. This helps create a healthier and more balanced way of thinking.

How journaling can complement therapy

While journaling is not a substitute for therapy, it can be an effective supplement. This mental health practice serves as a bridge between in-person or online therapy sessions, giving you a consistent channel to express and explore your thoughts and emotions.

By regularly writing about thoughts, feelings, and experiences, you can track your emotional patterns and triggers outside of sessions while also uncovering insights that can be further explored with a therapist. 

Why this matters: The reflective practice of journaling empowers you to take ownership of your emotional well-being, facilitating a deeper and more lasting transformation.

There may be things that you write about that are just for you, but you may also choose to share entries or sections with your therapist or prescriber during your sessions.

Journaling is a deeply personal and impactful practice that can help to highlight, stabilize, and clarify emotional matters. By developing this mental wellness habit, you’re actively participating in the important process of maintaining and enhancing your emotional well-being.

With this guidance, you can start writing your way to a healthier, more mindful life today. Interested in exploring more? Check out this helpful guide on even more healthy habits that improve your mental health.

Image by wayhomestudio on Freepik