Journaling to Improve Your Well-being

Taking a few minutes to write in a journal each day can help relieve stress, lower blood pressure, and improve sleep. Journaling is an easy, low-cost way to boost both your mental and physical health.

There are many different types of journaling, including gratitude journaling (writing down what you’re thankful for) and bullet journaling (quickly logging your thoughts and goals). We’ll discuss several types you may want to try and offer tips for getting started.

What Is Journaling?

When you were younger you may have kept a diary of what happened to you each day. Journaling goes beyond documenting the day’s events. It involves writing your thoughts, feelings, ideas, objectives, and reflections. Reviewing your personal journal from time to time gives you clarity and perspective.

Journaling can help you:

• Process emotions
• Identify patterns and triggers
• Improve organization
• Track personal growth
• Achieve goals
• Solve problems
• Be more creative
• Cope with uncertainty

Health Benefits of Journaling

Journaling has a wide range of health benefits, studies have shown. For example, a clinical trial found that journaling reduces stress and anxiety. People who journaled regularly reported their mental health had improved and they experienced less pain.

Other health benefits of journaling include:

• Lower blood pressure
• Improved mood
• Better sleep
• Stronger immune system
• Reduced symptoms of depression
• Recovery from emotional trauma or PTSD
• Support for treatment of substance use disorders

Types of Journaling  

One of the goals of journaling is to write down thoughts and ideas floating around in your head, so that you can clear your mind and leave stress behind. There are many ways to do this, including:

• Reflective journaling — Use your journal as a place to reflect on your past and your visions for the future.
• Gratitude journaling — Write down what you are thankful for or things that make you happy. When you are feeling sad, read your journal for a pick-me-up.
• Stream-of-consciousness journaling — Start writing anything and keep going. Don’t be concerned about form or grammar.
• Bullet journaling — Create logs of tasks and goals, then track your progress. A bullet journal can help you manage your time better, reducing stress and anxiety.
• What-is-going-well journaling — Instead of writing about what went wrong, focus on the positive aspects of your day and what went right.
• Unsent letter journaling — Write down what you’d like to tell someone (as if in a letter), such as how angry they made you feel or how much you appreciate them.
• Intuition journaling — Pose a question to yourself and then write a response based on your intuition or “gut feeling.”
• Visual journaling — Rather than words, use drawings and other art to express your thoughts. You can also include mementos such as tickets, stickers, and photos in your visual journal.

You can experiment with various types of journaling until you find one you like and then stick with it. Or rotate among several types for some variety. You can also combine types for your own custom mix, such as making a reflective journal that includes your sketches and doodles.

Tips for Getting Started

No matter what kind of journaling you want to do, getting started is simple. All you need is a few minutes and a place to write down your thoughts. You can use a paper notebook or one of the many journaling apps that are available. Here are some other tips for how to get going:

• Pick a quiet time. Choose a time to journal when you are not rushed. Many people journal in the evening, as it helps them relax and get ready for bed. Others prefer journaling in the morning to focus on goals and priorities for the day ahead. The important thing is to make it a regular part of your day.
• Set a reminder. When journaling is still new for you, set a reminder to write to make sure you don’t miss a session.
• Find a comfortable space. Look for a place where you can journal without being distracted. This might be a favorite chair in your bedroom or in your parked car when you arrive home from work.
• Write regularly. Try to write for the same amount of time each day, such as 10 to 15 minutes. Setting aside a dedicated block of time for journaling helps make it a habit.
• Start small. Don’t put pressure on yourself to write a lot at first. Start out with short entries, such as a single sentence or a few words, and build up from there.
• Write openly. Your journal is personal, so there’s no need for it to be perfect. Don’t worry about sentence structure or grammar. Let your thoughts flow freely and honestly. Be authentic and don’t try to edit yourself.
• Explore what’s on your mind. Write about whatever is on your mind at the time. It could be something you’re happy or upset about, a goal, or a memory. Go into detail and explore it fully.
• Use prompts. If you can’t think of something to write about, try using a prompt. For example, “what’s your biggest challenge right now?” or “what do you want to improve on?” There are many lists of journaling prompts available on the Internet — use the search term “journaling prompts” to find them.

Express Yourself

Journaling can be rewarding and help improve your well-being. If you’ve never kept a journal, we hope this article has inspired you to give it a try. Remember to be patient with yourself and don’t be critical of your entries. What’s important is to express yourself. As you grow as a writer, you’ll have a greater sense of satisfaction and gain a new perspective on your life.