Using Mindful Journaling to Enhance Your Well-Being
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Have you ever considered the power of a mindfulness journal and the simple catharsis found from writing down your thoughts with a pen and a pad of paper? From workout journals to food journals to mood diaries, the possibilities are endless. Keeping a diary might sound like a chore, but it can offer you the freedom to write down your deepest thoughts and emotions, track your overall progress in life, and above all, improve your mental health. Think of it this way: a workout journal tracks your physical health, a food journal tracks your dietary health, and a mood diary tracks your mental health.
Journaling, or keeping letters or diaries, is an ancient tradition that even famous figures such as Anne Frank and Thomas Edison have taken part in throughout history. It’s many people’s favorite pastime, including mine. I keep a journal by my bedside so that every night before I go to bed, I can take a moment to reflect on my day and everything I accomplished or would like to accomplish the following day. Writing down my thoughts and feelings is like taking a breath of fresh air. And for many, that’s exactly what it is, and so much more.
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Healthcare columnist and editor for WebMD, Dr. Dan Brennan, M.D., says, “Journaling about your feelings is linked to decreased mental stress.” Have you ever had someone suggest taking a wellness day to focus on self-care, but thought to yourself—I would if I could, but I just don’t have the time? That’s where the concept of journal therapy evolved from. Journal therapy derives from the notion that expressing your feelings in a private journal is therapeutic. Think of it as a note to self or a reminder of how you are feeling or what you are going through from one day to the next. A journal, in short, can act as your advisor or guidance counselor, allowing you to check in with yourself and express your uninhibited thoughts without fear of reproach or judgment.
More so, journaling has shown to be especially beneficial for those who suffer from psychological disorders such as ADHD, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, psychosis, and PTSD, as maintaining a log for your thoughts, conditions, and perhaps creating daily structures can assist in self-reflection and organization. Mindfulness, in general, is taking notice of the small details around you, which is also an extremely useful skill when writing. In retrospect, keeping a mindfulness journal greatly benefits both improving one's ability to pay attention to details as well as allowing one to get into the habit of utilizing all of their senses to absorb the world around them.
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The initial function of journaling was to record events and experiences from a narrative point of view, but this has since been developed into a form of meditation and stress management. As American author and speaker Natalie Goldberg once put it, “whether you're keeping a journal or writing as a meditation, it's the same thing. What's important is you're having a relationship with your mind.”
Strike Out,
Writer: Samantha Petters
Editor: Noelle Knowlton
Graphic Designer: Samantha Lawless
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