Resilient Reflections: Why You Should Write Part 2
Why You Should Write Part 2: The Benefits of Journaling
What exactly is meant by “journaling”? As the name implies, the definition of journaling is simply “to write in a journal or diary.” I myself prefer the use of the word journaling. Keeping a “diary” makes me feel like a teenager again, and I like to think I’ve made more than enough mistakes and learned from them back then to not regress haha!
Some therapists describe journaling as “the healthy act of expressing your deepest thoughts and feelings by putting them into words. This allows you to make better sense of your inner life and can therefore be used to support your mental and emotional health.”
In last week’s blog we talked about why journaling should be considered a tool in your toolbox to support your wellbeing and growth. This week, I thought a natural flow would be to discuss why journaling is so good for us.
What are some of the short- and long-term health benefits of putting pen to paper? Here are five benefits of journaling:
Reduces Stress. An overabundance of stress can be damaging to your physical, mental, and emotional health. It’s proven. Journaling is an incredible stress management tool, a good-for-you habit that lessens impact of physical stressors on your health. In fact, a study showed that expressive writing (like journaling) for only 15 to 20 minutes a day three to five times over the course of a four-month period was enough to lower blood pressure and improve liver functionality. Plus, writing about stressful experiences can help you manage them in a healthy way. Try establishing journaling as a pre-bedtime meditation habit to help you unwind and de-stress.
Improves Immune Function. Believe it or not, expressive writing can strengthen your immunity and decrease your risk of illness. Those who journal see improved immune system functioning (it strengthens immune cells!) as well as lessened symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Expressive writing has been shown to improve liver and lung function and combat certain diseases; it has even been reported to help the wounded heal faster.
Keeps Memory Sharp. Journaling helps keep your brain in better shape including increasing working memory capacity, which may reflect improved cognitive processing. This of course is something to consider as we see the numbers of people aging who are going to be challenged with different memory concerns and challenges.
Boosts Mood. Want to be happier in your life? A unique social and behavior outcome of journaling is that it can improve your mood and give you a greater sense of overall emotional well-being and happiness. Journaling, it is said, also unlocks and engages right-brain sided creativity, which gives you access to using your full brainpower.
Strengthens Emotional Functions. As journaling habits are developed, benefits become long-term, meaning that the writer becomes more in tune with their health by connecting with inner needs and desires. Journaling evokes mindfulness and helps writers remain present while keeping perspective. It presents an opportunity for emotional catharsis and helps the brain regulate emotions. It provides a greater sense of confidence and self-identity. Journaling can also help in the management of personal resilience. Wow! Does that sound like yoga too?
So, go ahead, grab one of those four-for-a-dollar composition books or another fancier option and set aside a dedicated space and time for journaling. My business coach goes down to the water every morning to journal, where she says she becomes her most creative self. This translates to her life, her business, and the joy she spreads to others. Don’t worry about proper punctuation or whether you’ve written enough or too much. Just do it!
The lesson? If you’re looking to better your health and well-being, start and/or keep a journal.
Next week, we’ll chat about how you can kick off starting to write your journal!
