Putting your thoughts to paper is a powerful way to bolster positivity, work through worries and improve your happiness quota.
Journalling – the act of writing down our thoughts – is a therapeutic activity we could all benefit from. Whether you record your day in your diary. Perhaps brain dump everything you’re thinking of. You can also zone into a stream of consciousness with morning pages. Why? Because the positives are well-documented.
And it doesn’t have to be difficult or a big thing. It can be as easy as jotting down what’s in your head whenever you feel the need. Keep a notebook specifically for your writing. Or instead use separate sheets of paper to record your thoughts. You can even burn or shred them afterwards if you’re concerned about somebody else reading them.Type into your phone or laptop if you prefer.It’s the process that matters.
Different forms of journalling
Many of us will remember keeping a diary when growing up. We may well still do so. The act of writing down what’s happened during any given day is an ideal way to record your life over the years. I know when I re-read old diaries I’m immediately transported back to the past. With all of the same feelings conjuring up special and emotional moments. From recording my first kiss at 16 with the boy I’d had a crush on for months, through my time as a mother’s help in Italy after my A levels, to being pregnant with my beloved daughter. All the important times of my life are there to relive whenever I want to. And that’s both good and bad.
Morning pages
Keeping a daily diary can become a chore, however – and that’s a surefire way to drop the writing habit. One alternative is morning pages. Developed by creativity guru and author, Julia Cameron, in her book, The Artist’s Way, this entails writing three pages in longhand about anything or nothing every morning when you first get out of bed. Before you’ve had time to start censoring and structuring your thoughts. Just start writing and let your pen be guided by whatever comes into your head, following whatever tangent arises. Do not read as you go and do not correct your writing. It is whatever spills from your brain through your fingers and on to the page. This is a great way to start the day, as you end the session with a clear focus to carry forward into your morning. That’s because all thoughts from your head are now out there on the paper.
Practising gratitude
Researchers have shown that appreciating what we have makes us happier. In the study The effects of gratitude interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis, they found “patients who underwent gratitude interventions experienced greater feelings of gratitude, better mental health, and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression. Moreover, they experienced other benefits such as a more positive mood and emotions”. A gratitude journal is one way to do this. At the end of every day write down five things you are grateful for. If you don’t want to keep a written journal, then keep a mental version, again thinking of five things that happened during the day you’re grateful for. “When expressing gratitude, people avoid pessimism, unhappiness, complaints of malaise and pain, toxic emotions such as anger, hurt, and fear, feelings of loneliness, isolation, and lack of engagement,” said the researchers. “A grateful individual focuses on positive practices of solidarity and attention to others, and gains a sense of well-being in return.”
Just start simple
Journalling doesn’t have to be complicated and there’s no need to overthink it. “One of the most effective ways to begin is by setting a very low threshold. This might be writing for just a few minutes a day or responding to a simple prompt such as ‘What stood out to me today’,” says Christine Schneider, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist at Cambridge Therapy Centre. “Some people find it helpful to anchor journalling to an existing habit, such as doing it alongside a morning coffee or before going to bed. You could also keep your journal on your pillow so it acts as a reminder before you go to bed. The key here is consistency rather than volume.”
The benefits of journalling
It’s a form of self-care that brings clarity and calm. If you have trouble disentangling thoughts, emotions and interpretations of events, it can add logic and awareness. It helps you understand what’s happening and situations you’ve found yourself in. “Journalling supports self-care because it enables you to write down your thoughts and feelings,” explains psychologist Najma Zaman. “Sometimes people need to get things out of their heads, and writing them down is a great way to do this. It can also help to see things more objectively, which can be beneficial. People can find that as they’re writing, more emotions and thoughts come out which they were not previously aware of. There can be a flow once someone starts writing. Journalling can help alleviate feelings of overwhelm, help one de-stress and generally help a person to slow down. “It can improve sleep because it acts as a wind-down routine that offloads unfinished thoughts before bed.”
Overall, journalling brings many benefits. And if writing’s not your vibe, don’t worry, you can still savour the emotional advantages. Simply use the voice app on your phone to record your thoughts and feelings. Writing isn’t for everyone, but the positives of journalling can be.
