Journaling can be a helpful tool in therapy.Over the years, I’ve noticed how journaling can really help support therapy. Writing things down lets people explore their thoughts more fully, discover hidden patterns, and learn more about themselves. By the end of this blog, you’ll see how journaling can boost mental health, learn what to keep in mind before starting, and pick up helpful tips to begin your own journal. 

The Benefits of Journaling: How It Can Help You 

As a therapist, I strongly believe that journaling is a powerful tool for reducing stress and boosting emotional health. It helps continue the progress made in therapy and can lead to better results. Here are some ways journaling can help you. 

How Can Journaling Benefit Your Mental Health 

Studies indicate that keeping a journal provides notable advantages, such as boosting mood, lowering anxiety, and improving emotional regulation (Pennebaker & Smyth, 2016; Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005). By writing down your thoughts and emotions, you externalize your internal experiences. This process aids in achieving clarity to handle stressors, discover effective coping mechanisms, and manage your emotions (Smyth, 1998; Frattaroli, 2006). 

Writing in a journal helps you connect with your inner self, encouraging self-reflection and enhancing self-awareness. It can sometimes reveal patterns, beliefs, and motivations that affect mental health (Lepore & Smyth, 2002; Pennebaker, 1997). Furthermore, journaling is a useful tool for problem-solving and setting goals. By recording challenges and ambitions, you can clarify goals, generate solutions, and monitor progress over time, which ultimately increases motivation and a sense of empowerment (Lyubomirsky et al., 2011; Sheldon & Lyubomirsky, 2006). 

Benefits of Journaling 

  1. Accessibility 

Your journal is ready whenever you need it, providing a space for pouring out thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. In this journal, there is no right or wrong way to express yourself. You can write freely, sketch, or even paste in mementos that hold significance to you. It is a judgment-free zone where your vulnerabilities can be laid bare, allowing for genuine self-exploration and growth. Whether you choose to write daily, weekly, or whenever inspiration strikes, your journal patiently awaits your return, ready for whatever thoughts you wish to share. 

  1. Meaning-Making 

Humans naturally seek to process and understand their experiences, especially in the aftermath of trauma. When terrible things have happened, journaling can be a way to make sense of the experience. Recounting trauma through writing helps to organize the painful, unspeakable, and unbearable nature of these memories. Unprocessed trauma memories typically exist in fragments in the brain, showing less involvement in areas like the hippocampus, resulting in a lack of context and clear beginning, middle, and end. By framing the memory within a written narrative it becomes more manageable and less overwhelming, offering a sense of control and clarity.  

  1. Find Your Voice 

Journaling grants you the freedom of and access to your authentic voice. It’s uninhibited self-expression without the fear of criticism. As you continue to journal, you may find that it enhances your self-awareness. Through introspection and reflection, different aspects of yourself gradually come to light, enabling you to recognize patterns, beliefs, and emotions that may have been previously unconscious. 

  1. Validation 

Putting your thoughts into written words validates them and lends them a sense of tangibility. This validation plays a role in acknowledging and processing your emotions. 

4 Steps to Consider Before You Start Journaling for Mental Health 

These are the key concepts to consider before you begin journaling. 

Privacy 

Maintain the privacy and security of your journal. If you’re using a physical notebook, keep it in a place no one will look and consider writing a warning on the cover to deter anyone tempted to read it. This warning could indicate that the contents may include personal reflections and observations that others might find uncomfortable or challenging to read. Alternatively, if you’re journaling digitally, ensure the file’s security by setting up a password to restrict unauthorized access. This precaution helps safeguard your privacy and ensures that your journal remains a safe space for your thoughts and feelings. 

Set Boundaries 

Journaling can take you to some dark places. It’s important to set boundaries to stay safe. Take it one step at a time, gradually going deeper into your thoughts and emotions. You may start with prompts and then eventually build up to free writing. In addition to this, another way to set boundaries is through the amount of time you spend journaling. Start with short writing sessions (15-20 minutes). You want to set a time frame that works for you, which gives enough time to self-disclose without overwhelming you. Set a timer. When the timer goes off, stop writing. 

Take Breaks 

If you feel overwhelmed, take breaks and engage in relaxation activities. 

Introduce Feedback Loops 

Once you are comfortable with your journaling practice, consider introducing feedback loops. These loops involve reading back your entries and providing reflective statements. 

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Where to Start 

Developing a journaling practice, like any skill, requires consistent effort. If you’re uncertain about what to write in your journal, consider the below journal ideas. 

Journaling Ideas and Prompts for Beginners 

One-sentence journal: 

Springboard Prompts: 

Here are ten journal prompts to jumpstart your writing process: 

Lists 

Lists can be a fantastic tool for beginners, offering a structured and accessible way to organize thoughts, ideas, and experiences. They provide a straightforward format that doesn’t require extensive writing or introspection, making them helpful for those who may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of starting a journal. Here are some examples of lists that you can incorporate into journal writing. 

Gratitude List: 

Self-Reflection List: 

Coping Strategies List: 

Relationships List: 

Accomplishments List: 

References: 

Baikie, K. A., & Wilhelm, K. (2005). Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 11(5), 338-346. 

Lepore, S. J., & Smyth, J. M. (2002). The Writing Cure: How Expressive Writing Promotes Health and Emotional Well-Being. American Psychological Association. 

Pennebaker, J. W. (1997). Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process. Psychological Science, 8(3), 162-166. 

A woman writes in her journal while sitting at a desk surrounded by greenery.George felt weighed down as he checked into yet another motel room. This was his ninth business trip in one month. He didn’t used to mind the traveling so much. Sure, it gets tiring, but he was also feeling irritable, disheartened, and down. He loosened his tie and collapsed on the bed.

Lifting his head, he noticed a notepad and pen on the bedside table. He sat there and started scribbling away, writing about everything and anything – whatever came to mind with no analysis or self-censorship. He just let words flow on to the page. After about 20 mins or so, he sat back with a sense of satisfaction. He felt lighter in his body and more clear-headed in his mind.

He decided to repeat this activity the next day before his first meeting. He even spent a few minutes in the end reflecting on some of the things that were going well in his life. As he left his room to go to work, he was pleased to feel the bounce in his step return.

Whether in movement, song, dance, art, music, or words, there is something natural and liberating about self-expression. Not surprisingly, it can be a useful medium for processing challenging moments and accumulated stress. It can also promote self-empowerment and acceptance.

I often invite my clients to try journaling. They usually ask me if there is a specific way to start. As it turns out, researchers have been studying expressive writing for a while now, seeking to determine what format works best for different issues. The following are some of the results.

Unstructured Expressive Writing

The classical writing instruction as a therapeutic practice was introduced by Pennebaker and colleagues in the 1980s. It goes as follows:

  1. Write “your very deepest thoughts and feelings about an extremely difficult or emotional event that has affected you and your life…” (Baum & Rude, 2013, p.37).
  2. Keep the flow of writing going for 20 minutes nonstop.
  3. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar.

Gratitude Writing

Researchers also found keeping a gratitude journal can have a significant positive effect on mental health. It can create a greater sense of optimism and life satisfaction (Froh, Sefick, & Emmons 2008). A simple daily or weekly gratitude journal involves taking a few minutes to bring to mind things you are currently grateful for. Items on the list can be grand or mundane: “I am grateful that my kid is healthy” and “I am grateful for my toothpaste” are both acceptable.

Then there are gratitude letters. Researchers compared the difference between psychotherapy on its own, psychotherapy with expressive writing, and psychotherapy with gratitude letters. They discovered the option involving gratitude had the greatest beneficial impact. Here’s the gist of their approach (Wong, Owen, Gabana, Brown, McInnis, Toth, & Gilman (2018)):

  1. Choose a specific person to address your gratitude letter to. The purpose is not to send the letter, though you can if you want to.
  2. Reflect on and write about what it is you are grateful for in this person.
  3. Repeat this exercise over an extended period. You can choose the same person as your addressee or a different person.

Expressive Writing for Depression

In 2013, Baum & Rude incorporated the benefits of mindfulness and self-compassion into the classical expressive writing practice. They discovered “expressive writing plus emotional acceptance” made a better impact on alleviating mild symptoms of depression than the classical approach to expressive writing. Both kinds of expressive writing helped mild depression more than regular writing. However, expressive writing was found not to be helpful for those with severe depression symptoms.

So if your depression symptoms are on the milder side, consider the following tips (Baum & Rude, 2013):

  1. Be mindful as you write, taking an observer’s stance. Witness whatever difficult emotions that come out without judging them.
  2. Include a paragraph that normalizes distressed responses in the face of difficulty and stops self-blame.

Expressive Writing for PTSD

This year, researchers published findings that expressive writing could help reduce the severity of posttraumatic stress (PTSD) symptoms. Consider the following structure (Sloan & Marx, 2018):

  1. Write for 30 minutes every day and commit for at least 5 days.
  2. Write from the present moment looking back, as opposed to imagining the trauma as if it were happening now; write while feeling anchored in the here-and-now, present and safe.
  3. Go into the details of the events as you remember them, including thoughts and emotions.
  4. Be a nonjudgmental observer of the writing.
  5. Revisit the same event in your subsequent writing sessions instead of moving on to other incidents.

If you find yourself getting stuck, consider asking yourself some of these questions I adopted from different somatic psychotherapy approaches – including Somatic Experiencing and EMDR – that work with trauma:

  1. “What happened next?”
  2. “Who was there to help you?”
  3. “When did you know you were safe?”

Expressive Writing for Test Anxiety

Studies have found expressive writing helps students with high test anxiety perform better. So if you are a teacher, consider adopting the following activity for your students (Doherty & Wenderoth, 2017; Ramirez & Beilock, 2011):

  1. Set aside 10 minutes for writing prior to the exam. (If time does not allow, 5 minutes can also be effective).
  2. Let your students know the purpose of this writing activity.
  3. Keep the writing anonymous.
  4. Let it be an optional activity.
  5. Instruct your students to write “as openly as possible” about their thoughts and feelings regarding the exam they are about to take.
  6. When they’re done, or when time is up, instruct them to crumple the paper and throw it away.

If you are a student with test anxiety, see if your teacher will give you time to do this before the exam. You can also try it yourself. Find a quiet place near the exam room about 15 minutes before the exam. Use 10 minutes to do the expressive writing exercise and the remaining 5 to get to your exam on time and get settled.

Writing for Sleep Disturbance

In some cases, writing exercises can also help with sleep issues. Spending 5 minutes writing a simple to-do list for tomorrow can help you fall asleep faster. Conversely, writing about tasks you already completed can delay your ability to fall asleep (Scullin, Krueger, Ballard, Pruett, & Bliwise, 2018). So if you want to fall asleep quickly, you can use pre-sleep writing to clarify tomorrow’s activities and de-clutter your head.

Designing Your Own Writing Practice

If you decide to try writing your way to mental health, let yourself be curious and discover what is the best approach for you. If you already have a writing practice, great! If modifying based on the tips above, consider a combined power punch that incorporates a gratitude section into whatever writing practice you have.

If you are thinking of using expressive writing to process a traumatic incident or to manage depression, it might be helpful and even recommended that you do so with the added support of a trained mental health professional.

References:

  1. Baum, E. S. & Rude, S. S. (2013). Acceptance-enhanced expressive writing prevents symptoms in participants with low initial depression. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 37(1), 35-42. doi:10.1007/s10608-012-9435-x
  2. Doherty, J. H. & Wenderoth, M. P. (2017, August 11). Implementing an expressive writing intervention for test anxiety in a large college course. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 18(2), 39. doi: 1128/jmbe.v18i2.1307
  3. Froh, J. J., Sefick, W. J., & Emmons, R. A. (2008). Counting blessings in early adolescents: An experimental study of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of School Psychology, 46(2), 213-233. doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2007.03.005
  4. Ramirez, G., & Beilock, S. L. (2011). Writing about testing worries boosts exam performance in the classroom. Science, 331(6014), 211-213. doi:1126/science.1199427
  5. Rude, S. S. & Haner, M. L. (2018, February 13). Individual differences matter: Commentary on “Effects of expressive writing on depressive symptoms—A meta‐analysis”. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 25(1), e12230. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/cpsp.12230
  6. Scullin, M. K., Krueger, M. L., Ballard, H. K., Pruett, N., & Bliwise, D. L. (2018). The effects of bedtime writing on difficulty falling asleep: A polysomnographic study comparing to-do lists and completed activity lists. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 147(1), 139-146. doi:1037/xge0000374
  7. Sloan, D. M. & Marx, B. P. (2018). Maximizing outcomes associated with expressive writing. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 25(1), e12231. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cpsp.12231
  8. Wong, Y. J., Owen, J., Gabana, N. T., Brown, J. W., McInnis, S., Toth, P., & Gilman, L. (2018). Does gratitude writing improve the mental health of psychotherapy clients? Evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Psychotherapy Research: Journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, 28(2), 192-202. doi:10.1080/10503307.2016.1169332

Vintage journal and fountain penWords have power, so it follows that the process of journaling does, too. It’s a tool I often recommend to the people who see me for therapy.

Some situations in which journaling might be helpful include:

Sometimes people share that they’ve thought about journaling but never moved forward with it. When I explore why that is, it’s often because they saw it as a chore or obligation, something that had to be done the “right” way.

However, there is no right way to journal. The key is to utilize this tool in the way that will work best for you.

You might choose to buy a beautiful book with empty pages, but you could just as easily grab a notecard, a yellow legal pad, or a piece of printer paper and begin.

You need not worry about writing regularly. There’s no rule that says you have to record things daily. Write when you believe it might serve you, not because of an arbitrary “should” that you or someone else has placed on you.

You have the option of sharing what you’ve journaled with others or keeping it private. You decide. You make the rules.

There is no requirement to write full sentences. You can jot down thoughts as they come to you. You can scribble them all over the page if you want and draw lines connecting those that are related to one another, literally connecting the dots of your thoughts in a deliberate way.

Another therapeutic way to journal is to vent on paper all that you are upset about so that you have a sense of expelling that negativity. Give yourself permission to be as “ugly” in these rants as you want so you have the opportunity to empty yourself of toxic thoughts and feelings. Many people resist this at first, fearing others might discover about them what they’ve been trying to hide. In that case, I suggest symbolically ridding yourself of those thoughts and feelings by ripping up the words or shredding them. This act alone can be a powerful one, a moment of triumph over something that was possibly poisoning you from within.

Sometimes people struggle to find the words to express themselves accurately. I encourage such people to draw or sketch what comes to mind. Scribble if need be. Let the pen flow over the paper in a way that mimics how you feel. Even choosing your writing tool might be telling—a pencil’s lead that can be erased as though it never was, a ballpoint that moves smoothly, a colorful marker, a thick, permanent Sharpie. You can grab what’s nearby or you can be more deliberate when selecting.

You have the option of sharing what you’ve journaled with others or keeping it private. You decide. You make the rules.

Journaling is a wonderful way to explore, embrace, and accept your inner world. Colors and pictures can further enhance your understanding of the deep, mysterious internal world.

Many of us use black ink when we are writing in a journal. But colors matter. They reveal so much more about the nonverbal part of us. Whether you chose to write your words with a thick red marker or a light blue pencil, it will highlight the message you are receiving from your soul and vice versa.

Keep markers, coloring pencils, crayons, or paint and several blank sheets of paper by you as you start journaling. Using a large sheet of paper (11” x 17”) is helpful, as it reminds you that your feelings have space to breathe, and the paper acts as a mirror for your soul.

Emotions can sometimes be associated with a color. For example, blue may mean sadness or peace, green envy, yellow happiness, and red anger or rage. But what matters most is what the color means to you. For instance, if you have experienced loss in your life and you remember wearing a green sweater when you were going through that difficult time, then you may associate that color with loss.

In short, the most important part of this activity is being true to yourself and your intuition.

Now that you know the emotion, it’s easier to graduate to imagery. Imagery grounds you and clarifies any hidden meanings or associations with the feelings. So, let’ say that while you are working on this activity, an image pops up in your head. Don’t delay or second-guess. Just draw what feels natural to you. You don’t have to be an artist, your focus is not on the art. The focus is the writing. The art is there to complement your writing.

Do not allow your mind to interpret the picture. Observe the paper and, if you allow your mind to be still, the meaning will become clear to you.

I pray that this technique enhances your journaling experience.

A woman writes in a cafe.I enjoy writing to myself. Sound strange? I initially chose not to share this information with anyone else because I thought people would be confused by this statement. However, writing to myself is helpful to work, relationships, and self-evolvement. I hope this technique is beneficial to you as well.

Writing to myself is like having a conversation with my true self. Intimately revealing and increasing present moment awareness, it is just as helpful as meditation, visualization, or yoga in relieving stress. Writing to oneself can also help one work through depression or deepening intimacy with a partner.

So, how can you learn to write to yourself?

All you need is fifteen minutes a day, a pen, pencil, or a crayon (whichever works best for you), and an intention to be honest, true, and nonjudgmental to the writing that emerges from within. This method of journal therapy is most beneficial when you are feeling overwhelmed and/or when you are making an important decision. Begin by gathering a pen and paper to have on hand; try opening a window to let in fresh air; make sure you feel calm and ready as you start this activity.

Evaluate your goals, which may include:

The first step in this activity is to realize that although you may hear several different voices in your head (the critic, the people-pleaser, etc.), another voice exists that you can call your true self, your guardian angel, or your higher self. This inner voice knows peace and joy and guides you in making choices that feel right for you, without fear.

The second step is to write a question on a piece of paper. Try to find a question that concerns you deeply and affects your current mental health:

Once you have determined your question, sit in silence. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Notice the thoughts ebb and flow in your mind. Continue to focus on your breath for five minutes. As you calm, notice how your thoughts slow down.

Then write as if you’re having a conversation with your true self. A conversation might ensue as follows.

Q: What is bothering me?
A: I don’t know. What do you think is bothering you?
Q: I don’t know; that’s why I am asking you.
A: Well, sit still for a moment.
Q: How is that going to help?
A: Well, try it and see what happens.
Q: I am not here to sit still. Solve my problem.
A: Sitting still is the answer.
Q: How long do I have to sit still?
A: A couple minutes.
Q: Okay. I’m still. Now what?
A: Well, how do you feel?
Q: Not as bothered as before.
A: Great. Do you have another question?

The first time you attempt this activity you may not hear your inner voice, but don’t give up. Keep writing. It takes time and patience to hear your true self speak to you. The more you intend on finding that voice, the more easily you will hear it. With practice, you will learn to speak from your true self, and all the other voices (the whiny child, the people-pleaser etc) will take a back seat.

Good luck!

Important Notice

GoodTherapy is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, medical treatment, or therapy. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding any mental health symptom or medical condition. Never disregard professional psychological or medical advice nor delay in seeking professional advice or treatment because of something you have read on GoodTherapy.