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The Therapeutic Benefits of Journaling
Everyone goes to therapy for different reasons and with different ideas about treatment. According to a number of therapists, most everyone can benefit personally and professionally from finding a creative outlet to express themselves, either inside or outside of therapy. Whether you’re an artist or a businessperson, writer or accountant, creativity is one tool that can aid in problem-solving and help individuals achieve a positive outlook and greater self-awareness.
Depending on the needs and preferences of the individual client, some therapists recommend expressive writing or journaling. Writing is beneficial not only for artists and writers but also allows those who are not artistically inclined a way to be creative in a non-threatening manner. There is nothing rigid about the writing process – people don’t have to worry about grammar, typos, or penmanship, or even keep what they write.
Journaling can help individuals detangle their thoughts and feelings, increase focus, know themselves better, build self-esteem, manage stress, solve problems more effectively, let go of the past, and resolve disagreements or conflicts with others. Experts believe that by understanding yourself better, you are better able to make decisions that are in line with your values and goals.
In addition to these and other emotional benefits, research has shown that journaling can have positive physical health effects. Expressive writing, whether done in a diary, notebook, or on a piece of scratch paper, can lower blood pressure, reduce depression, decrease the symptoms of asthma, arthritis, and other health conditions, improve cognitive functioning, and strengthen the immune system.
Dr. James W. Pennebaker, a professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin and author of several books including Writing to Heal: A Guided Journal for Recovering from Trauma and Emotional Upheaval, has spent 20 years encouraging people to spend 15 to 20 minutes a day for a few consecutive days writing down their deepest feelings. Pennebaker helped pioneer a study of individuals using expressive writing as a method of healing. He found that short-term focused writing can benefit all types of people, from those dealing with a terminal illness to victims of violent crime to first-year college students.
In Writing to Heal, Pennebaker says, “People who engage in expressive writing report feeling happier and less negative than before writing. Similarly, reports of depressive symptoms, rumination, and general anxiety tend to drop in the weeks and months after writing about emotional upheavals.”
When people can write their complex emotions into a concrete story, approach the issues from different perspectives, and practice putting positive emotions into play in writing, they gain the maximum benefit of the journaling experience. By constructing a story, people are better able to make sense of events and memories they don’t understand. In many cases, people are surprised to learn that the real issues are different from the ones they’d anticipated.
While people can make significant progress in one hour of therapy each week, and many find the practice a necessity in their lives, creative outlets like writing, painting, drawing, or taking a few moments each day for quiet reflection can greatly expand the benefits of therapy. Rather than exploring difficult emotions and seeking resolution only in the presence of a therapist, people can enjoy hours of personal therapy in between sessions, which they can then discuss with their therapist the following week.
Like every therapeutic technique, expressive writing may not suit everyone. Certain personality types tend to respond better to writing than others, and writing’s effectiveness may be mediated by how the individual handles stress, his ability to self-regulate, and the quality of his interpersonal relationships. But for many, expressive writing can be intensely therapeutic and for a few, literally life-changing.
Link: Find a Therapist
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