10 Powerful Reasons Why Journaling Can Lead to a Happier Life Free From Anxiety or Depression
Dr. Elizabeth Jennings, OTD, OTR, c/NDT. Dr. Jennings is an Occupational Therapist with a Doctorate in Mindfulness Studies, is a Certified Mindfulness & IntegrativeWellness Life Coach and has a focus in PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injuries, Anxiety and Depression, Empowerment Coach, Executive Coach, Organizational Development Leadership Coach, Master Intuitive Grief Coach
www.rememberyoumattercoaching.com
Journaling is one of the most portable mental health tools available. It can be used anywhere and at almost any time you need support dealing with feelings of anxiety, depression, or anger. These strong emotions, when not dealt with, can develop into more progressive and unproductive thoughts or feelings that can cause chaos on both mental health and well-being. Journals can vary greatly in size and design. It can be a small or large book with meaningful quotes or images on the cover or throughout the journal which evokes a positive feeling of inspiration, strength, or confidence. Journals can be formatted as lists, drawing pages, or with blank lines. There are also journals that have thinking prompts to get thoughts flowing easily. The use of journals can be specialized for the individual using it and can be appropriate and beneficial for all ages including young children, teens, adults, and older adults.
Journaling is a flexible tool to use and can be completed through written or electronic means using paper or pen, a smartphone, or laptop which is easily accessible for use by everyone. Journals are often portable and can be carried in a purse, carry bag, or backpack. Journals can have multiple uses. Journaling can be themed to be a book full of positive affirmations that allow you to focus on overcoming. Another journal could be used as a method of self-expression or free thinking. Some people use journals to be completely honest and raw with expressing feelings that they do not feel safe sharing with anyone else. Journaling allows and gives permission to communicate while providing the safety and security needed to help manage feelings of anxiety or depression that may exist.
10 ways Journaling can improve your mental health and help to manage anxiety and depression
#1 Provides Inner peace/calm: to write about and explore feelings and emotions blocking your peace of mind and calmness of spirit.
#2 Serves as an expressive outlet: to allow the creation of a physical list of thoughts, whether positive or negative, in order to organize feelings, be able to observe them as is and without judgement, and come up with solutions to solve them.
#3 Evokes a creative mind: full of new ideas, projects, book topics to write, or even future business ideas to start which improves well-being and brings about hope and a zest for living.
#4 Leads to resilience: by empowering individuals with the power to generate and create solutions to recurring problems instead of allowing those problems to cause stagnation in life.
#5 Helps to develop new ideas: through brainstorming and generating thoughts through inspiration provided from engaging the five senses while simultaneously journaling: listening to music, smelling a fragrant candle, observing a visually stimulating or calming picture, rubbing something that feels soft to the skin, or mindfully focusing on the taste of something that you are eating. This combination leads to the stimulation through journaling of those innovative new ideas.
#6 Enables the release of worry and fear: Journalizing is a perfect tool to write out or track key points, ideas, or techniques learned previously to have a visual reminder of ways to release and let go of worry or fear in your life.
#7 Improves your mood: whether you're feeling or experiencing being sad, tired, rejected,or lonely, journaling becomes a place to truly connect with yourself and be honest and open about the thoughts that lead to feelings. When you are able to openly express your thoughts and feelings, then you will notice feeling lighter and improvement in your mood leasing to feelings of being more energized and happy overall.
#8 Heal your emotions: journaling allows an outlet to heal emotions. Emotions that are not able to be expressed whether they are fear, anger, resentment or a number of other non productive emotions can lead to increased feelings of anxiety or depression. Journaling allows a safe, cost effective, and nonjudgmental outlet to self- expression and leads to healing of unproductive emotions and feelings.
#9 Dream again: a journal is a great place to freestyle your thoughts and write out your dreams. Dreams stimulate a desire to set goals. After you set goals in your journal, you then will feel empowered to strive to accomplish those dreams. This progress and progression can all be tracked in your journal.
#10 Plan steps for the future: journaling gives you permission to think beyond what is right in front of you and allows you to have a way to write daily tasks. You also can write out steps necessary to plan for your future in your journal. This helps to combat feelings of hopelessness and depression.