Did you know writing about stressful, traumatic and good things benefit physical & emotional health?
In fact, studies show that time spent journaling about our deepest thoughts and feelings can even reduce the number of sick days we take off work (Sohal, Singh, Dhillon & Gill, 2022).
Why is journaling good for you?
It’s widely used as a non-pharmacological tool for coaching and counselling. There are two forms of journaling that are common in psychotherapy (Sohal et al., 2022):
1. Expressive writing:
This is where someone writes their innermost thoughts and feelings, they focus on the emotional experience than events, people or objects.
2. Gratitude journaling
This involves a focus on the positive aspects of life through capturing situations, events and interactions for which we are grateful.
Keeping a record of these
>> Reduces anxiety
>> Breaks the cycle of obsessive thinking
>> Improves awareness and heightens emotional intelligence
>> Boosts physical and psychological wellbeing.
Is there more research?
Based on client self-reports, research suggests a wide range of physical, cognitive, and emotional benefits come from expressive writing (Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005):
- Lowering blood pressure
- Improving lung and liver function
- Less time spent being admitted in hospital
- Overall increase in mood
- Improving psychological wellbeing
- Fewer depressive and avoidance symptoms
- Reduction in stress-related visits to the doctor
- Lower work absenteeism
- Lower time ‘out of work’ following job loss
- Higher averages on student grades
Research into gratitude journaling suggests that “study participants who regularly drew their attention to aspects of their lives that made them feel blessed increased their positivity” (Fredrickson, 2010, p. 187).
Recording what makes us feel grateful every day can become monotonous, even zapping positivity. A few days a week may be sufficient.