The power of journaling: How the simple act of journaling can positively shape your day

A significant amount of research has found that daily gratitude journaling compared to antidepressants can have wonderful effects on our sleep, mood, depression, anxiety and enhance our immune system.  This natural resource which dates back centuries is tapping into our own natural capabilities; teaching us to appreciate nature and human interaction rather than take it for granted, having a knock on effect on our mood and well being.

We are hardwired to focus on the negative which is known as ‘negativity bias' and this is an innate (biological) response.  Ancestally it was an adaptive trait to protect us, by focusing on the negative we could protect ourselves from predators and threats.  In contrast, positive journaling or gratitude journaling helps reprogram the brain to listen out for the positives among the negatives.  By appreciating the moments of good in the everyday, we start looking for them, priming ourselves to seek them out having a positive knock on effect on our well-being and physiology.

How it can be used to reduce stress:

By venting our stressors onto a page we can be more reflective, detach from the stress, be more objective about what needs to be done and actually what we are in control of.  This 

subsequently can lead to the development of better stress management and coping techniques.

Example: Write down on a page everything that is stressing you out.  Go through the list circling what you can control and then annotate how you can act on those things.  Even prioritizing which you will deal with first.  The simple act of acknowledging that some things are outside your control can be liberating as you just can just let them go and focus on what you can control.

How it can be used to relieve depression and anxiety:

As mentioned, journaling can have powerful effects on priming us to see the good in our day and improves our overall feelings of optimism.  In addition it can be used in a way to process our sad or angry thoughts which can be cathartic.

Example 1 - Gratitude Journaling: At the end of the day write down 3 things that you are grateful for.  This doesn’t need to be long but, the process of writing them on paper means that you process them for longer and challenge the negativity bias.  This can be followed up in the morning committing to one thing that you will do today for you.  E.g. reading a chapter of a book or 10 minutes of yoga - this  often grounding activity can help us to be more present with our needs, which helps us relax and re-center.

Example 2 - Journaling: By writing for 10-15 minutes a day about our feelings and thoughts surrounding an emotional event we can significantly impact our well-being score.  The simple act of writing about how we feel, helps us process our feelings which can be extremely cathartic.

How it can be used to focus your goals:

Long to-do lists are overwhelming and are often rejected for this reason.  By limiting your goals to 3 things for the day, you are more productive and focused.  Once you complete this realistic list you feel more motivated to tackle the other things that have been building up.

Top tips for journaling:

• Prioritise convenience: Writing pen on paper is good as it helps us be reflective and we aren’t impacted by our phones blue light before bedtime but, if your journal isn’t easy to access then you might not stick to it. For this reason use whatever you are most likely to stick with e.g. phone notes or computer.

• Set aside a specific time: Habit stacking makes us more likely to do something so, attaching journaling to a daily activity like first thing when you wake up, with your morning coffee or before you go to bed makes it more likely to happen.  Gratitude journaling is particularly effective before you go to bed as it is a positive reflection just before you go to sleep. 

• Don’t self edit: Don’t correct errors or even read it back - the point is to release your feelings without judgment.

If by journaling you find your negative thoughts and feelings spiraling then please book in for a coaching call with either Sian or Victoria so we can help you further.