The Health Benefits of Journaling
Have you ever noticed how when occupied on something technical, your imagination gets a little free time to get moving and ideas, feelings and emotions rise to the top?
This is basically because, while occupying the left side of your brain, your right and more creative hemisphere (in the vast majority of people) is free to roam.
Journaling - pretty much - does exactly that. The act of writing occupies your left hemisphere and that leaves your right side free to be more creative and feel, giving rise to emotions. Then, as they arise, noting them down helps recognise them, internally at first, then on paper, physically identifies them and this can have huge benefits. Almost making you an observer.
The trick is to make sure you cover both ends of the spectrum, positive and negative feelings and emotions - and enough of the middle ground to identify trends over time and in doing so, this can help the writer see where their own attitudes, beliefs and actions may be holding them back or which ones are more productive and focus on them! After all, they are for you and only you (as the writer) so you may as well be as honest and forthright as you can allow yourself to be.
A study by Dr James Pennebaker showed that with practice and regularity, journaling not only had a positive affect on his subjects’ mental health - all of whom had suffered trauma of some sort - but they also, compared to the control group, visited the doctors less frequently as a result too. This indicated that the practice of journaling can positively affect both your mental and physical health.
From Writing about Emotional experiences as a therapeutic process: by James W. Pennebaker (link)
When individuals write or talk about personally upsetting experiences in the laboratory, consistent and significant health improvements are found The effects are found in both subjective and objective markers of health and well-being The disclosure phenomenon appears to generalise across settings, most individual differences, and many Western cultures, and is independent of social feedback.
It has, in other studies been shown to improve immune system functioning and it’s even been reported to help the wounded heal faster! Even AIDS patients who practice journaling have greater T-cell counts from study by Mr Pennebaker and others (link).
While this research is astounding, for many, it’s a practice that is mainly used for stress or anxiety management or emotional wellbeing as a whole. Here are some handy tips for getting started and building it into a schedule or routine.
Keep it simple. You simply need a pencil or pen and some paper. There are apps available but these couple with a likely increase in interruptions from notifications or distractions.
Find a routine that fits your day and build it up. Consistency is key. Some people like to set their day up with a coffee and a gratitude list first thing in the morning. Others like to make sense of the day before bed. Either work and have their place. I sometimes do both.
Start small. Just a few minutes, jotting down thoughts can help. What’s on your mind? Is there anything bothering you? What are you looking forward to today? Why are you excited/dreading x, y or z…? It really can be freestyle but getting going and starting small will help you nurture a habit.
It’s for you. No-one else. You may have immaculate handwriting or dreadful penmanship, either way, the journal is for you. No one else and as such, there is no need to have it perfect. I have rarely re-read my pages but I know that the process is almost more important than the output. I know by flicking through some old books, I wouldn’t be able to read some of them if I tried as I often scrawl illegibly as I think faster than my hand moves! Perfectionism is the enemy of progress - Winston Churchill.
Use prompts. If you are suffering from writers block - or an inner guard is stopping you from letting loose, prompts are a great place to start - they can help you frame a thought or question in a more accessible manner.
