Writing comes in many forms: essays, books, poems, etc. Most people associate writing with stress, as many people are forced to write in school and work; however, journal and diary writing can actually be a great tool in order to manage stress.
When most people imagine diaries, they picture the heading, “Dear diary” before ranting about their day. While that form of diary writing does exist, there are many different types of journal writing to choose from. According to the article “How to Journal – A Complete Guide to Journal Writing”, “Journal Writing is the practice of taking time for yourself to write and reflect on your thoughts, feelings and life experiences… the beauty of journal writing is you can do it in your own way.” Just as this article states, journal writing is a creative process that gives the individual freedom to write whatever and however they choose. Some people choose to write about their past experiences, some choose to write about their present feelings, and many also make note of their future hopes or fears. Whether commenting on the past, present, or future, noting these thoughts and feelings can help put life into perspective, making hard, stressful topics easier to identify and tackle.
Journal writing is commonly used in therapy as something called, you guessed it, therapeutic journal writing. Unlike the many other journals and diaries people keep in their spare time — although those are important too —, therapeutic journal writing is much more specific in form and practice. According to GoodTherapy’s article “Journal Therapy”, therapists usually use therapeutic journal writing to “begin each session with a writing exercise to declare his or her intention for the session or to hone in on present concerns… a mode of communication between the person in therapy and therapist”. Therapeutic journals are much more focused on what specifically the patient needs for their specific circumstances from anxiety, to depression, to PTSD. Of course, this type of therapy does not work for every single person; however, it has made a difference in many people’s lives, changing a bleak mindset to one of positivity and hopefulness.
Gratitude journaling is another example of how journaling can help one focus on optimism rather than stressful thinking. We take so much for granted in our daily lives, but gratitude journaling helps remind us of these small things and their positive impact on our lives. Gratitude journals do not have to be big or time consuming; most only take ten to fifteen minutes a day! The Greater Good in Action’s article “Gratitude Journal” gives many tips on how to start a gratitude journal, and definitely helped me when beginning one. As “Gratitude Journal” states, “There’s no wrong way to keep a gratitude journal” and everyone is subject to their own preference. While I prefer to write my journal in the evening, many people love to begin their day with a gratitude journal in order to keep their spirits up throughout the day. There is no singular right way to create a gratitude journal, just as there is no right way to write anything. Individuality is what makes creating these journals so special, and no journal will look exactly like another person’s. Journal writing is personal, and it is designed to help you through challenges and stressful times in your own way.
There are many ways to combat the stress of everyday life, and writing is one of the most effective tools we should take advantage of in order to maintain positivity and gratefulness in our lives.
As someone majoring in psychology, stress management is a topic I’m extremely passionate about. I practice journaling in my everyday life as its one of a few anxiety-reliefs that work well for me. Personally, my journaling tactic changes every day and on rough days may just include a variety of hard-pressured scribbles. Similar to you, I also journal at night. I believe it helps to get all the extra thoughts out and on paper in order to get a good nights sleep and wake up with a clean slate in the morning. I am looking forward to learning other useful tactics to manage stress, especially since college is no joke and we’re just getting started.
I was not surprised to hear about the effectiveness of writing in combating stress, but the variety of journals that can be used to this end certainly caught me off guard. In particular, I had never heard of a “gratitude journal,” although the concept makes a great deal of sense to me, considering how we as a species have a tendency to focus on the absence of what we lack rather than the presence of what we possess. I look forward to hearing about even more ways to manage stress.
As someone who has done a bit of journaling, it can be rather fun. I use it to remember events that happened in my life. I sometimes read back through past entries to get a nostalgic feel. I’ve never heard of a gratitude journal. I could claim I have one, just it is spoken and not written. Catholics, protestants, monks, and I call it prayer; however, it could be coined as a gratitude journal. I do agree with you, that a gratitude journal is good for stress relief.