Don’t wait to see if you have time to journal. If you’re serious about giving it a try, here are a few strategies you can use. “I want to, but I’ve never managed to keep the habit” said another reader. “I don’t, but I spend so much of my waking time writing, it’d feel too much like work” explains Paul Jarvis, author of Company of One and founder of Fathom Analytics. I have since lost this journal, and I wish I could read it today-to put myself back in the shoes of this 16-year-old girl who visited China for the very first time.įinding the time and the energy to keep a journal feels challenging for many of us. I religiously kept a diary when I was there, writing my thoughts, questions, collecting tickets to the museums we visited. When I was 16, we won a regional competition and I had the opportunity to take a trip to China with my school. It’s amazing for getting some perspective on my thoughts and feelings, a way to plan and reflect on goals, and to keep track of when and how I met people,” wrote Jonathan.īeyond the mental and physical health benefits, I feel like journaling is a gift to your future self. “I am all about processing all the emotions every day and writing is a great way to do that on a daily basis,” added Conni. “Journaling centers and grounds me, allowing me to decide how I want to react to my written thoughts and feelings,” said Amy. A side bonus is the boost to my creativity,” explained Suzan. It helps me sort out my thoughts and bring unconscious ones to light so I can work with them. “Writing in a journal daily has been a powerful way to be more introspective. “It gives me clarity, reflection, and feeling of control,” told me Ruth. I was amazed at the range of reasons why our readers were keeping a journal. Finally, even though the research is still unclear, writing on a regular basis may allow for repeated exposure to your old memories, which will help you get rid of your negative emotional responses. It’s also likely that the development of a coherent narrative helps you reorganise and structure old memories, making them less traumatic. How does it work? Research suggests that confronting old emotions may reduce your physiological stress, but it’s probably not the only explanation. Altered social and linguistic behaviour.Fewer post-traumatic intrusion and avoidance symptoms.
Reduced depressive symptoms before examinations.Feeling of greater psychological well-being.Fewer stress-related visits to the doctor.This amazingly thorough paper by Dr Karen Baikie and Dr Kay Wilhelm, which was published online by Cambridge University Press-I highly recommend reading it-lists 17 proven health benefits of journaling.