There’s something that I frequently recommend to clients that often results in some groans of complaint. That thing is journaling. Journaling is a very effective form of self reflection, and there is a ton of research pointing to it being very effective in improving mood and processing negative beliefs. I often meet some resistance from clients when I suggest this, but I can say that those who do their journaling homework typically come back saying that they found it to be helpful. Psychcentral calls journaling* an expressive coping mechanism that allows people to release feelings onto a page or document. The idea is to take something from inside of us and place it outside of us. This is actually why I tend to recommend not going back and re-reading previous journal entries. After a significant amount of time has passed (maybe a year) it could give people a sense of their growth if they read an old entry, but going back and re-reading something difficult that they recently expressed tends to have the effect of reabsorbing the feelings they’ve previously expressed.

Journaling helps with many different mental health* conditions. It alleviates anxiety because anxious thoughts tend to feed each other, causing people to ruminate or dwell on them. This can often feel like a snowball going down the hill picking up more snow and growing larger. By journaling, people have the opportunity to process the worries differently and even reflect on other ways to think about anxiety-producing situations. Journaling is also very helpful with depression and trauma when used correctly. Studies show that journaling about the activities of the day do little to relieve depression symptoms; however, writing about deeper emotional experiences and the accompanying thoughts can (over time) help reduce depressed mood and feelings. It can also help people on their path to recovering from trauma to write about the experiences that they’ve been through. This can be very triggering, so it would be much safer for people who have been through trauma to do this while undergoing counseling.

Gratitude journaling is another option, or one that can be incorporated into other forms of journaling. We’re wired to notice the bad more than the good. It’s actually more of a survival strategy passed down from our ancestors, and it likely helped them survive in a more primitive and dangerous world. Still, this negativity-bias can contribute to or worsen negative moods and feelings. Taking time to write down* what you’re grateful for can be a way of countering depressive thoughts and feelings. If you’ve had a terrible day that started with stepping on a lego and only went downhill from there, you might tell yourself that there’s nothing to be grateful for. There’s always something to be grateful for, though. You can be grateful for the breath you just took, the sun on your face, the rain that keeps plants alive, or this giant space rock that we all call home.

Psychology Today gives 10 reasons** why it’s a good idea to journal:

Similar to what has already been mentioned, journaling relieves stress and anxiety.
It helps to stimulate creativity and the development of original ideas.
It helps to improve memory, which would be especially beneficial for those who are at higher risk of age-related memory conditions.
Boosting self-awareness and personal growth.
As mentioned previously, it improves mental health and reduces the symptoms of a variety of mental health conditions.
It helps improve motivation.
It improves relationships by helping people to better understand the people in their lives as well as a reminder to be grateful for them.
It improves productivity by helping people create structure for themselves.
Finally, journaling can be a form of legacy that is left behind for descendants, should you choose to make it available for them.

Journaling is an effective tool for coping in the moment. However, the best effects of journaling are cumulative. Ongoing journaling on a regular basis* is significantly more effective than when it is used as an as-needed tool. Having said that, I would still tend to say that anything a person does with the intention of improving their life, physical health, or mental health is a good thing, even if it isn’t done regularly. An important thing to consider is what method works best for you. You might want a specific leather-bound journal and a fancy pen, you might want a spiral notebook and a broken pencil or cheap give-away pen, you might prefer to type into a hidden folder on your computer. It doesn’t actually matter what method you use, and if it’s necessary to experiment with different tools, that’s fine too. Your method of journaling, like your thoughts themselves, belong to you.

*https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-health-benefits-of-journaling#depression

**https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-minds/202301/10-good-reasons-to-keep-a-journal