The Power of Journalling
Do you remember, as a child, having a secret diary in which you would record your innermost thoughts, your heartbreaks, your fury at the unfairness of life, the mundanity of the school day? I do.
I would keep my diaries under my pillow and record daily the minutiae of my existence. I still have them and reread them occasionally, squirming at the self- absorption of the adolescent me. Yet at the time it was therapy and it helped me to navigate the treacherous, tumultuous waters of teenage angst.
That teenager knew instinctively that writing helped heal her troubled soul and it is a practice I have often returned to as an adult, particularly in difficult times.
Handwritten journalling is a centuries old practice and science suggests that it has manifold health benefits. In our fast paced and often stressful world we find it hard to pause and slow down, but in order to survive and thrive it is crucial we find strategies that allow us the space to breathe and to reflect. Picking up a pad and pen may help us do just that.
Here are some of the many benefits of journalling:
It can help manage anxiety and reduce stress. Writing can help us understand our inner conflict and by bringing problems to the surface, we can start to address and even reframe them.
It boosts our mood. Research suggests that those of us who write about our feelings are better able to regulate our emotions and this makes us happier.
It improves our immune function. Expressive writing has been shown to reduce illness, help combat certain diseases and even accelerate wound healing. Extraordinary, but true.
It inspires creativity. Journalling can help capture ideas, encourage reflection and build confidence. Writing by hand has been shown to exercise the brain in ways that typing does not.
It boosts emotional intelligence. Writing honestly about how we feel about a person or event honestly may help us understand ourselves better and discover our strengths and weaknesses.
It boosts memory. Journalling has been demonstrated not only to enhance memory and understanding, but may elevate working memory capacity, which suggests potential improvements in cognition.
It helps us to achieve our goals. Just the physical act of writing down your goals can make them feel more real and motivate us to achieve them.
You need only set aside a few minutes a day, but the important thing is to start and to write regularly if possible.
Keep a pen and paper handy where you will easily see them, by your bed maybe, and decide on a time to write, perhaps first thing in the morning or last thing at night.
If, like me, you’re a sucker for stationery, buy yourself a special book to write in. There is nothing like a beautiful notebook to make me want to get down to it and divulge myself of my innermost thoughts.
How you journal is up to you. It is for your eyes only, so you might want to write reams or perhaps, if you are struggling to know where to start, you might want to ask some simple questions.
Physician and author Dr Rangan Chatterjee suggests you ask yourself three questions each morning:
What is one thing you deeply appreciate about your life?
What is the most important thing I have to do today?
What quality do I want to show the world today?
It’s a great place to start and reminds us that, however tough life may be, we can always find something, however small, that we can be grateful for.
Journalling can help support us in many ways. There is no right or wrong way, it doesn’t have to be perfect and nor should it be censored. Just make it work for you.
The important thing is to start. See it as precious time set aside for you to relax, to write and to reflect. Believe me, your mind and your body will thank you for it.