Mental health benefits of journaling

Besides being a great way to record one's life, journaling can be used in a therapeutic context to help people with mental health struggles. Writing about stressful events and about one's inner world can be an effective way to express painful feelings that are hard to disclose, leading to the release of tension. There are different ways to journal to improve mental wellbeing, the two primary ones being expressive writing and gratitude journaling. Studies have looked at the benefits of expressive writing for certain populations at risk for negative mental health outcomes and found that there is a significant benefit. There are certain aspects that differentiate journaling for mental health benefits versus casual journaling, and researchers have conducted studies to see which forms of journaling are most effective. Journaling is especially effective when used in conjunction with other therapeutic tools. While journaling for mental health is mainly suggested in a therapeutic context, anyone can take advantage of the many benefits of journaling. 

There are specific aspects to focus on when journaling specifically for mental health benefit, as opposed to general journaling. One might initially think to focus very deeply on their emotions while journaling for mental health. However, if done in the wrong way that can actually lead to negative outcomes. When only focusing on emotions, one can write their way into a negative mental health spiral. A study investigated the effects of different kinds of journaling about a stressful or traumatic event where participants were assigned to one of three conditions, either focusing on the emotions related to the stressor, focusing on both cognitions and emotions about the stressor, or a control group where they wrote neutrally about news events. The participants who were told to write about their emotions but also involve cognitive processing about the trauma (how they've tried to understand it and make sense of it) reported an increase in their positive growth from the trauma over time. The group that focused on emotions alone actually had negative health outcomes, and reported getting sick more often (Ullrich, 2002). Therefore, one should write about both emotions and cognitions (mental processes) and not emotions alone to lead to better mental health outcomes (Ullrich, 2002). 

While one should focus on the content of their writing when journaling for mental health, one should not worry about spelling, punctuation, or grammar but write with the assurance that no one else will read your writing. In this way, one can be completely open and honest with their writing, and this is where much of the efficacy of journaling comes from. Sohal et al. (2022) describes two forms of journaling used to help with mental health: gratitude journaling and expressive writing. With gratitude journaling, one writes about aspects of their life that they are grateful for and focuses on the positive. With expressive writing, one writes around twenty minutes a day for 4 days focusing on deepest thoughts and emotions. Either form has been shown to have a significant positive impact on peoples' mental health, especially with those suffering from anxiety or PTSD (Sohal et al., 2022).

While journaling alone is not usually recommended as a solitary form of mental health treatment, it can be very effective in a therapeutic context as a supplement to other forms of traditional treatment to help patients cope with stressful events. One article (Utley & Garza, 2011) focused on using journaling as an additional therapeutic tool for adolescents in a clinical setting. Adolescents can be very reluctant to open up to their therapists, and they found that introducing journaling led to a positive impact in the therapy sessions. It helped improve their emotional expression, and when writing with pen/pencil and paper, there is a beneficial mind-body interaction. The clients are able to "clarify the invisible intricacies of their journey, connecting the feelings of the soul with the words on paper" (Utley & Garza, 2011). As they begin to transfer the abstract thoughts in their minds to paper, this leads to conflict resolution and they are better prepared to discuss their issues with the therapist. It is interesting to note that in this study, the adolescents were also presented with art materials along with the journaling materials, and they were excited to have a creative outlet outside of the limitations of talk therapy. Other researchers (Tonarelli et al., 2017), looked at the effects of expressive writing on healthcare workers who deal with a lot of stressful situations as part of their daily job. They found that with expressive writing, the participants were able to create a story around their trauma, which then led them to be able to manage it better when it's a processed story. Initially, they were writing in a disorganized way, but as they continued to write, their personal stories began to take shape. Once their story was organized, the stressful events were smaller and easier to deal with. 

Besides using journaling to treat patients suffering with mental health issues, it can be beneficial for all people. One teacher, Steve Portman, introduced daily journaling to his fifth-grade students. He set certain times in the school day to journal for 12 minutes. He recommends using traditional pen/pencil and paper, which is better for getting into a writing flow. When writing, one must also quiet their negative inner critic and write unselfconsciously without any worry. Portman then had his students share their writings. This was not always easy for all the students, but it eventually built up their empathy, created a community of writers, and increased their self confidence (Portman, 2020). Some students were reluctant to share in the beginning but Portman reports that he would start to read aloud his own work, and eventually everyone would want to share. Some students would respond to the others' writing and share that they felt the same way or were going through the same things. He writes, "What better way to build community than through stories of our lives, each unique yet sometimes remarkably similar?" (Portman, 2020). This story of the fifth graders shows how journaling can truly be beneficial for anyone, in any context.

Many aspects of journaling make it well suited to help people with their mental health. It's a safe way to open up about stressful events because it is completely private, and it helps people make a cohesive story about what they are going through. Whether one chooses to write a gratitude journal or do expressive writing, the benefits have been shown to be significant in helping with all manner of mental health issues. While journaling has been used in clinical settings, one can access the many benefits of journaling on their own. All you need is a pen/pencil and paper, and even ten minutes a few times a week, to think through whatever is stressful in your life, and to write freely. You too, then can start to feel the benefits of journaling. 

Sources:

Portman, S. (2020). Reflective Journaling: A Portal Into the Virtues of Daily Writing. The Reading Teacher, 73(5), 597–602. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1877

Sohal, M., Singh, P., Dhillon, BS., et al. (2022) Efficacy of journaling in the management of mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Family Medicine and Community Health;10:e001154. doi: 10.1136/fmch-2021-001154

Tonarelli, A., Cosentino, C., Artioli, D., Borciani, S., Camurri, E., Colombo, B., D'Errico, A., Lelli, L., Lodini, L., & Artioli, G. (2017). Expressive writing. A tool to help health workers. Research project on the benefits of expressive writing. Acta bio-medica : Atenei Parmensis, 88(5S), 13–21. https://doi.org/10.23750/abm.v88i5-S.6877

Ullrich, P. M., & Lutgendorf, S. K. (2002). Journaling about stressful events: effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression. Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 24(3), 244–250. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2403_10

Utley, A., & Garza, Y. (2011). The Therapeutic Use of Journaling With Adolescents. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 6(1), 29–41. https://doi-org.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/10.1080/15401383.2011.557312