“Write hard and clear about what hurts.” – Earnest Hemmingway
How to get started with expressive journaling?
Journaling is a highly effective tool for stress relief and can take several forms, so there are multiple options that can work for you. If you already have a favourite journaling habit, by all means, keep it up! But you may want to try something new in addition to it. And if you are new to journaling, here are several practices to try.
1. Gratitude Journal: Some people keep a daily gratitude journal where they list three or more aspects of each day for which they are grateful. This is a highly effective strategy for relieving stress because it helps you to focus on the resources you have in your life already and create a more positive mood at the moment, both of which have been shown to build long-term resilience. A bonus benefit is that you are left with a record of the many nice things that have happened throughout your days, so if you’re feeling down in the future, you can cheer yourself up with a few pages of reminders for the things you have to appreciate in life.
2. Emotional Release: You may also write about your emotional responses to events that have happened throughout the day as a way of coping with the stress. This can help you to process what you are feeling and perhaps even explore more positive reframing options. When writing about positive experiences, this allows you the ability to maximize and savour the positive feelings you may have for the good things that have happened in your day. This is also a great way to expand on the positive and manage the negative things that happen in your life, increasing your positivity ratio, which is an important aspect of stress management.
3. Bullet Journal or Personal Planning Journal: Some people simply keep journals to track what they need to do each day, goals they have, memories they create, and other things they do not want to forget. Because writing things down can help keep your mind uncluttered and help you to remember what is important to you, this can relieve stress as well. Being more organized and balanced is a great way to feel less stressed.
And remember, if you find yourself not keeping a regular schedule with journaling, it is a habit you can resume at any time. You do not have to journal every day in order for it to work for you a few times a week is still highly beneficial and even journaling on an as-needed basis brings benefits.
Expressive Writing Is Good for Your Mental Health
We know that writing with pen and paper is good for your brain. But it is also good for your heart and soul. People who practice expressive writing that is, writing to help make sense of your thoughts and emotions can experience mental and emotional benefits, including a reduction in stress, anxiety and depression and greater clarity and focus.
If you have been paying attention to paper trends, you already know that handwriting and journaling have made a huge comeback in recent years. Daily journaling can be calming and peaceful at the end of a busy day or in the midst of an emotionally difficult time. Commit to writing for at least 15 minutes every day. Once you begin, write without stopping to correct spelling or grammar. If you run out of things to write before your time is up, you can repeat what you’ve already written. What you write and how you write it is completely up to you. There are no rules.
“In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order.” -Carl Jung
About the Author
Trishna Patnaik is a BSc (in life sciences) and MBA (in marketing) by qualification but an artist by choice. Previously a corporate professional, she realized that she wanted to do something more meaningful. She found her true calling in her passion, painting. Trishna is now a full-time professional painter based in Mumbai, as well as an art therapist and healer.