Self-Care: The Value of Journaling for Wellness

Self-Care Through Processing & Gratitude

The practice of journaling has received great attention as one of the most affordable and helpful wellness and healing tools for self-care. We know that many of our greatest minds, both artists and scientists, kept journals. The activity has only recently been subject to consistent study. The research, published in the September issue of APA’s Journal of Experimental Psychology: General (JEP: General) (Vol. 130, No. 3), shows that writing expressively reduces intrusive thoughts about difficult events and improves memory. Our clients report that journaling provides them with insights, a safe and heathy way to vent negative emotions, a clean slate to try out new ideas, work on their own inner healing, and improve their recall. All of these wonderful benefits especially point to journaling’s special role in regards to processing traumatic experiences.

Processing Trauma

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One of the most powerful uses of journaling is that it provides a safe, self-regulated space to acknowledge and process traumatic events. It organizes events in the mind, keeping the subconscious from chronically processing traumatic (even minimally traumatic) events as we sleep. Better sleep leads to better emotional regulation and better overall health.

Life happens fast. And usually we react to events before our rational minds can fully grasp what happened. If an event is deeply traumatic, we may even dissociate or act as if out of body. This disconnect is constantly replayed by the mind over and over. Why did I react that way? Did things even happen how I remember?

Journaling connects us slowly, at our own perfect pace, with events that were too scary to process at the time. We can explore alternate reactions; we can explore explosive feelings (even if this is just half-truth) without judgement and inhibition. We can choose to burn the writing later or keep it sacred. The writing could be full of half-truths, or full of revelations that change your life, or both at once. There are no rules, no timelines, no fees.

Journaling Tip: (There really is just one)

Do it every day, even if you don’t want to. Journaling works best when you commit, because often the subconscious mind fears these “negative” emotions and it wants to keep you safe, and your ego intact. Journaling is vulnerable. You may have unsavory emotions to express. You may uncover shocking truths. You may feel things that your conscious mind is working hard all day to suppress. But this suppression comes at a tremendous cost, such as jumpiness, flashbacks, nervousness, insomnia, to name a few. So, your mind will try to get out of the chore, but stay strong and honor this practice that will have positive long-term benefits.

Besides doing it every day no matter what, there are no journaling rules. Use printer paper and burn it. Buy a gorgeous journal and fancy pen. Type it up on a public blog, or on a private server. Draw pictures, listen to music, or stare outside. Do what makes you feel the most free to express yourself, and give yourself the freedom to write whatever you want.

Self-Care Enhances Self-Confidence

Journaling can also improve our communication skills and help our self-confidence. As we clarify our thinking and voice, and hopefully let go of our silly or unhelpful thoughts, we can embrace our better ideas, our more mature and nuanced ideas. Writing is also inherently an activity of both emotion and cognition; thus it helps unify the mind and emotions. Bringing heart to our thoughts, logic and clearer thinking to our hurts, facilitates more self-care.

Many Ways to Journal So You Can Pick What Works for You

There are many ways to journal. By writing first thing in the morning, before you are fully awake, the subconscious may be more alive. Doing stream-of-consciousness writing can help us reveal ourselves to ourselves. The ensuing creativity and unguarded release can be a huge benefit to the subconscious. It can help us to be more honest with ourselves and assist in our creativity and self-exploration. Journaling privately or with others at a healing retreat can be life-changing.

However, more controlled journaling can help as well; in fact, writing about traumatic events may be one of the most helpful forms of journaling and has substantial scientific support. As long as the journaling doesn’t devolve into persistent rumination, it can help process and release trauma. Combine trauma writing with a gratitude and idea journal to help ensure your journaling helps process emotion and is a supportive practice in finding helpful and skillful solutions to life’s problems.

But Where to Start For Self-Care?

So, what should you write about? Only your subconscious mind and the inner workings of your heart know the answer. It’s best not to overthink it. Once you get started in this form of self-care, ideas usually flow so fast that it’s hard to keep up. While typing is tempting to keep pace with the ideas, handwriting has the best support, especially if you want to retain what you’ve written.

Gratitude is Key

If you are really stuck, start with one thing you are grateful for. Then add one thing that was challenging about the day. Try to describe these events, reliving them and giving them life. This helps your brain work through what occurred so that hopefully you spend less time in the middle of the night working on it. End the session by thanking your journal, your pen, and the location for “holding space” for you. Why not? Gratitude is a helpful ritual to make sure we come back the next day for more and move forward in our day (or sleep) with grace.

Self-Acceptance is the first step to greater changes

A journaling habit is an act of self-care that can be extremely powerful. Just committing is in itself a profound act of self-love. As you stick with this new habit, it will grow and evolve and you will learn more and more about yourself, your mind, and where you want to head. You will begin to understand what healing really means for you.

We suggest all of our clients start a journal at the beginning of their healing retreat in Sedona. The growth is much faster when you are engaged in journaling about your experience.