Recent Posts
Mentorship December 1, 2016
Don't just write to write.
When you experience a meaningful moment with someone you care about, the first thing most people want to do is recreate it. That’s when a journal can come in handy.
Writing in a journal is the perfect time to unload since it’s for your eyes only. And the kind of relief you get from journaling can even help your personal growth by teaching you more about yourself. This is an important part of facilitating change in your thought process and behavior to reach optimal health.
Many people keep a journal to document defining moments in their lives because they want to be able to look back on the downfalls they experienced on their paths to success. Others jot down everyday experiences to serve as a record of memories – both funny and sad – that are fun to read in the future. Keeping a journal also lets you look back on past experiences to see how your thought processes have changed and how much you’ve grown.
Overall, journaling serves as a pleasant release for deep thoughts or concerns. If you’re faced with a situation you’re not sure how to handle, writing your options down will allow you to clearly see what may have been muddled in your head. Research from the American Psychological Association shows that expressive writing can enhance a person’s memory and decrease the likelihood of intrusive, negative thoughts.
That being said, if all you’re doing is writing down worries and fears you don’t want anyone to know, you could be doing yourself a disservice. In another research from the APA, Dr. Smyth from Syracuse University says it’s not enough to just write down things that trouble you in a journal. The relief and health benefits of writing really come from trying to make sense of your feelings through words.
“You need focused thought as well as emotions,” says Susan Lutgendorf from the University of Iowa. “An individual needs to find meaning in a traumatic memory as well as to feel the related emotions to reap positive benefits from the writing exercise.”
Lutgendorf conducted a study with doctoral student Philip Ullrich, which found that “people who relive upsetting events without focusing on meaning report poorer health than those who derive meaning from the writing. They even fare worse than people who write about neutral events.”
Venting on paper just to vent has been shown to exacerbate negative emotions because writing them down can make them seem more tangible. Or even worse, you can get caught up in the reason you were upset in the first place.
So at the end of the day, it’s all about balance.
Just as journaling can help keep your thoughts organized, it can also cause you to reflect too much on a decision or overthink the little things you’re worried about. If you’re only turning to your journal as a way to unleash those overwhelming emotions, either change your approach or reconsider journaling as a way to help you.
