Probably most of us used to have a private diary during the teenage years. The reason why so many teenagers keep a diary is that it is a way to share all the thoughts, fears, and worries without being judged by someone. During the teenage years, most of us found their diaries to be the only safe place where you can be yourself. And it sure feels good to get rid of some thoughts hidden deep inside.
Transitioning to adulthood, most people stop using their diaries. Something that seemed so intimate in the past may now feel foolish. However, there are quite a few scientifically-proven reasons to keep writing your thoughts down throughout your whole life. In this article, we are going to prove to you that journaling is always a good idea, whether you are 14 or 40. Let’s dive in!
The process of keeping a diary is most often referred to as journaling, and it definitely has its purpose regardless of age!
It has been numerously proven that writing in its different forms has a number of health benefits. This process is known for its healing properties and, thus, is widely applied as a powerful mental therapy. Whether it is writing of books, articles, poems, or other content, it brings the same benefits.
The biggest advantage of journaling, in particular, is that it doesn’t require you to be a skilled writer. All that’s required from you is simply writing down how you feel and what you think. The key goal of this is to understand your feelings and thoughts more clearly, gain control over your emotions, and to improve your mental health.
Now, what specific benefits of journaling are there? Here are some of the most significant proven benefits this process has on your mental health and overall wellbeing:
Journaling is a great habit for relieving anxiety. This process helps you to minimize the impact of physical stressors on your mental health and allows you to manage anxiety and other issues in a healthy and natural way. Many scientists compare the effect of journaling to meditation, which is known for helping us de-stress.
It may sound somewhat surprising, but a study reveals that expressive writing also provides great benefits for your physical health. In particular, journaling can help you boost your immunity! The process of writing reduces the blood pressure, eases the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and asthma, improves lung and liver function, and even helps prevent a number of diseases. Thus, turning it into a habit can help you feel better inside and out!
It is not a secret that high levels of stress have a destructive impact on one’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Therefore, it is vital to know the ways to manage stress. This brings us to one of the most essential journaling benefits.
Journaling is a powerful tool for managing stress. First of all, writing about stressful experiences gives you the possibility to look at them from a different perspective, analyze what has happened, understand how you feel about it, and even find a solution. Also, writing down their worries, most people note the feeling of lightness that they experienced after. This feeling can be compared to getting rid of a heavy burden.
Expressive writing (such as journaling) is known for boosting mood and bring a deep sense of well-being and happiness. For example, writing about negative experiences allows you to get rid of negative emotions and un-wind. At the same time, writing about something good that happened to you throughout the day can make those positive memories and feelings last longer.
One of the biggest benefits of journaling for depression is that writing in your journal for only 15-20 minutes a day is proven to provide long-term improvements in mood. That’s why scientists and psychologists often say that keeping a diary is the best way to overcome symptoms of depression.
The key goal of journaling is to create a safe space for you to confess your secrets, understand your fears and feelings, and reveal your true inner self. It doesn’t need to follow any rules or make sense. It is your own private place where you can not be afraid of being yourself.
Keeping a diary has numerous health benefits, from helping to manage depression to relieving anxiety. Thus, it is always a good idea to start journaling if you experience stress or depression. Besides, writing down your thoughts can come in handy for self-analysis, as it helps to understand, accept your emotions, and learn how to move forward with them.
Hopefully, this article will help you to understand the benefits of journaling for mental health. Use this knowledge to take control of your thoughts and feelings, and it will help you to become a better version of yourself!
Author bio: This article was written by Sandra Larson, a professional writer at samedayessay com. Sandra confesses she’s always had a passion for writing. She has discovered the healing and mood-boosting effects of writing when she was still in high school and was keeping her diary. In this article, she shares with us her findings on the scientifically-proven benefits of journaling for stress, anxiety, and depression.