Do you remember hiding a diary under your bed as a teenager? It was a safe space to share your struggles and fears without judgment or punishment. Writing out your thoughts and feelings can be a powerful tool in achieving clarity and understanding. Although you may have stopped keeping a diary as an adult, the concept remains relevant. Now called journaling, the practice of writing down your thoughts and feelings can be especially helpful if you suffer from stress, depression, or anxiety.
Benefits of Journaling
One way to cope with overwhelming emotions is to express yourself in a healthy way. Journaling can be an effective tool in managing your mental health, helping you to reduce stress, cope with depression, and manage anxiety.
Journaling helps control your symptoms and improve your mood by prioritizing problems, fears, and concerns, tracking symptoms day-to-day to recognize triggers, providing an opportunity for positive self-talk and identifying negative thoughts and behaviors.
When you’re stressed and have a problem, journaling can help you identify the cause of your anxiety. Once you’ve identified your stressors, you can work on a plan to resolve the problems and reduce your stress levels.
How to Journal
These tips can help you get started with journaling:
- Write every day. Set aside a few minutes every day to write. This will help you to journal regularly.
- Keep it simple. Keep a pen and paper handy at all times, or keep a journal on your smartphone.
- Let the words flow. Your journal doesn’t need to follow a certain structure. Let the words and ideas flow freely, and don’t worry about spelling mistakes or what others might think.
- Use your journal as you see fit. You don’t have to share your journal with anyone. If you do want to share some of your thoughts with trusted friends and loved ones, you could show them parts of your journal.
Remember that journaling is just one aspect of a healthy lifestyle for managing stress, anxiety, and mental health conditions. Be sure to incorporate these guidelines into your daily routine as well:
- Relax and meditate each day.
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet.
- Exercise regularly.
- Get plenty of sleep each night.
- Stay away from alcohol and drugs.
- And of course, get adjusted regularly.
Journaling helps you create order when your world feels like it’s in chaos. You get to know yourself through revealing your most private fears, thoughts, and feelings. Look at your writing time as personal relaxation time, and write in a place that is relaxing and soothing. Remember to look forward to your journaling time, and know that you’re doing something positive for your mind and body.
Getting Started
Embarking on a journaling journey can be daunting, but don’t worry! At Gibsons Chiropractic Health Centre, we have the perfect solution. Our select MonikaRoseDesigns journals, designed by Saĵa Rosenberg here in Gibsons, are now available for purchase. These journals are professionally printed and tailored to improve your mental and physical well-being. Whether you visit our clinic or check them out online here, make sure to browse our custom selection.