Journaling is simply writing down your thoughts and feelings. There’s no wrong or right way to do it because it’s a deeply personal thing. Journaling can be anything from a diary entry to a list of goals. Regardless of how you do it, it doesn’t just record your memories but actually helps your mental health!

One way journaling improves your mental health is by reducing stress and anxiety. Journaling is a great way to relieve stress in a healthy way. In a study, researchers found that those with anxiety who wrote online for 15 minutes three days a week between a 1-week and a 12-week period had increased feelings of well-being and fewer depressive symptoms after just a month (WebMD). 

“It is a good way to let out feelings and emotions that sometimes we bottle up,” stated school psychologist Clinton Thurgood. 

Journaling helps you keep control of your emotions. Writing down your feelings about a difficult situation can help you understand it better. Holding negative emotions inside and not understanding them leads to your emotions taking over you. Putting experiences into words allows you to form new perceptions about events which helps you understand why certain things happen and why you feel the way you do. 

Stress not only affects your mental health but also your physical health. A study found that writing only 15 to 20 minutes a day showed a decrease in blood pressure and improved liver functionality. 

“If we hold too much stress in, not only does it affect us mentally, but also physically as well. Built-up stress can cause headaches, stomach issues, high blood pressure, and muscle and joint pain,” said Thurgood. 

Another way journaling helps your mental health is by boosting your mood. As journaling becomes a habit, emotional control benefits become long-term. These benefits lead to boosting your mood and making you feel happier. Journaling evokes mindfulness which helps you be aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment. Being aware of what you are feeling helps you recognize and work through your experiences, giving you a sense of confidence and self-identity which eventually boosts your mood. 

By strengthening emotional awareness, journaling helps you manage change and personal growth. It unlocks right-brained creativity which gives you access to your full brainpower. Being more creative with your writing helps you gain intelligence. Journaling helps you develop more structured, adaptive, and integrated schemes about yourself, others, and the world which ultimately helps you grow and change into a more well-rounded individual. 

With all of these benefits, why would you not want to start journaling? When you first start writing, keep it simple. You can start writing for only a few minutes and don’t overthink it, just be expressive about your thoughts. There’s no rule on how you should write and you may only prefer to write if something negative is on your mind. 

Journaling doesn’t have to be just about writing sentences. You can get creative and try different formats. You can make poetry, write a letter, make a list, or add drawings.

It’s important to make journaling a habit so you get all the benefits that come with expressive writing. Pick a time of the day that’s good for you. This could be when you wake up, after school, or before you go to bed. 

“Journaling is more effective when you do it regularly, so I feel that people should schedule it as a normal part of their day,” said Thurgood. 

Journaling won’t solve all your problems, however, it does benefit you mentally, physically, and emotionally. It’s something you can get creative with and is a very personal experience that will help you grow as an individual.