Have you thought about keeping a journal but wondered about the benefits? No matter if you journal short, with a micro journal, or journal long, the traditional way, keeping a journal is a great way to boost your well-being. Just the benefits from keeping a journal to manage stress or work through troubled times make it worth trying.
Elizabeth Scott shares these scientifically-proven benefits:
- Journaling decreases the symptoms of asthma,
arthritis, and other health conditions. - It improves cognitive functioning.
- It can strengthen the immune system’s response.
- It can counteract many of the negative effects
of stress.
Pelin Kesebir says, “Setting aside 15-30 minutes a day for a couple of days a
week might be a good start to reap the benefits of journaling.” She goes on to
tell us that:
- People who used journaling to explore their deepest thoughts and feelings visited the doctor less, experienced increased immune system function, and had better mental well-being for months after treatment.
- People who connected causes and effects with words and phrases like, “the reason,” and “because,” saw the most benefits over time.
- This type of journaling worked best when used to help people make better sense of their experiences and find new meanings in them.
And journaling goes far beyond dealing with negative emotions and releasing stress. It provides a terrific way to remember the good times and the blessed and to bring back those warm, fuzzy feelings. In micro journal form, my entries look like this:
- Reconnected with Kris. (A dear friend from years ago I shared the beginning of adulthood with.)
- Killing the Strat. (I recently picked my guitar back up and still have a lot of my skills.)
- Wrote another journaling post. (Teaches me about me and allows me to help others, something fundamental to my substance.)
Journaling has no right or wrong ways. Micro journaling provides a convenient way to express yourself and document memories in a busy world. But if an entry that looks like cave drawings works for you, do it. Use stickers if you want. Combine everything. Go crazy to stay sane. Just do it!
