I was a sophomore in college and I was very confused. The initial excitement of freshman year had waned and my mind was like the airport the Sunday after Thanksgiving: overcrowded and overstimulated. I was processing new ideas, new concepts of myself, and the world that came at me so fast. I could not keep up.
I started keeping a journal. I knew that journaling was “a thing” some people did. At first, I tried hard to make my thoughts sound smarter than they were, something I struggled with when I was around other people. Over time, journaling became a process of casting aside the judgment I had for myself and letting myself express exactly how I felt and what I thought, without repercussion.
These days I see journaling being talked about a lot, especially over social media. It’s usually within the context of, “my therapist is telling me to journal,” met by a cyberspace eye roll. Meaning, “my therapist clearly does not know what to do, so they are just telling me again to journal.”
Or it’s, “I asked ChatGPT how to move on from my divorce and it told me to journal.”
So, is journaling just an overhyped band-aid solution to whatever problem you are facing, or does it have merit?
The Laboratory of Neuro Imaging at the University of Southern California found that the average human brain generates about 70,000 thoughts per day. Many of those thoughts are considered to be mental “chatter.” Journaling, along with other techniques that help us remain in the present moment, has been shown to help quiet the noise. Handwriting in a journal, typing on a computer or phone, or even voice journaling is slower than thinking. It forces us to take the time to be still and reflect.
Further research into the impacts of journaling has been found to lower blood pressure. Stress is also lessened after writing in a journal, and consistent journaling can even improve our immune system because of the overall reduction of stress. Journaling anxieties and fears before going to sleep has been shown to improve sleep quality. For individuals who experience mood disturbances, journaling can help keep track of when these occur and what the triggers could potentially be.
Processing trauma can be benefited through writing and journaling. It forces the individual to confront what happened and bring it to light. Specifically, there are studied therapies that incorporate structured writing and journaling into trauma therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy being one of them.
If you’re saying to yourself now, “OK, but how do I start?” try using one of these prompts:
Five things I saw today that caught my eye were:
The last time I felt insecure was:
Something that scares me is:
I’m grateful for:
And then reflect on “why?” Why do I feel the way I feel? Why did I react the way I did? Through building a better understanding of ourselves we learn to live more intentionally and create a life that is more in line with our morals, our needs, our standards, and our goals.
