‘Journaling is mindfulness in motion’ – Lisann Valentin
Journaling is incredibly beneficial both mentally and physically. It enables you to process events which lead to a healthy and more holistic view of yourself. Just jotting down your thoughts a few minutes a day can help reduce stress, boost your wellbeing, and help you better understand situations as they occur and awareness of your individual needs.
It allows you to develop what is known as a ‘coherent narrative’ of your own life. It enables you to take the events you are experiencing and integrate them into your overall perspective on life.
It Helps you organise your thoughts, prioritise your problems, release negative thoughts and allow you to identify patterns in your behaviour, in your life and patterns in health symptoms you may be experiencing.
Journaling Can Help:
1.Reduces stress – Journaling is an Incredible stress management tool. It Encourages space from negative thoughts. ’Writing down your thoughts creates a space and distance to consider them in an objective way’ Sabrina Romanoff PsyD, clinical psychologist. This distance is called cognitive diffusion You can use journaling to see your thoughts as separate from you.
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2.Improve sleep -Trouble sleeping, turning over a conversation in your mind or event from the day? Journaling allows you to get it out of your head and on to paper hence processing your thoughts, feelings and actions from the day will prevent you from overthinking and disturbing your sleep which we need for good health, repair, and healing. Tipp – Writing a to do list at night for the next day, gives reassurance you won’t forget and is another effective way to clear your mind of next day tasks.
3.Boosts mood, reduces depression and anxiety symptoms. A 2006 study found to be as effective as cognitive-behavioural therapy when it comes to reducing the risk of depression in young adults.
Depression and anxiety can cause a variety of health problems. Both depression and anxiety are often accompanied by negative thoughts Journaling allow you to get these thought out/ down on paper and process them in a more analytical, non – emotional way.
4.Improves Immune Function and decrease your risk of illness. A study showed that expressive writing (journaling) only 15 to 20 minutes a day three to five times over a four-month period was enough to lower blood pressure and improve liver and lung functionality. It has the benefit of reducing our cortisol (stress hormone) levels and potentially lessening asthma symptoms.
5.Keeps memory sharp -It enhances the brains intake processing, retaining, and retrieving of information, it promotes the brains attentive focus, boosts long term memory, gives time for reflection, and stimulates the brains highest cognition.
6.Strenghten’s emotional function Helps you process your emotions in a safe contained space. Naming the emotion and accepting them reduces their strength .This way difficult emotions become less overwhelming and easier to manage. Helps you connect to your inner needs and desires. Journaling evokes mindfulness and helps writers remain present while keeping perspective. It helps the brain regulate emotions. It can help in the management of personal adversity and change. Journaling unlocks and engages right brain creativity which gives you access to your full brain power.
W.R.I.T.E. – Technique to start Journaling.
W– What do you want to write about? What’s going on? Can you give it a name?
R – Review and Reflect on it –
I – Investigate thoughts and feelings through writing. How do you feel now that you see it on paper?
T – Time yourself – Give yourself a time limit -Don’t make it a chore – 5/10 minutes a day!
E – Exit strategically – reflect on what you have written and what you’re going to take away from it. I am, I will, I am going to do ,I want to say , I feel, My plan is
