The use of journaling, also known as expressive writing or journal therapy, has a long history as a therapeutic measure. Journaling,
whether done alone or in conjunction with traditional psychotherapy, is an effective stress management tool that provides numerous
emotional and health benefits. It’s also one of the easiest and most powerful ways to accelerate personal development.
Essentially, journaling is the practice of keeping a diary or journal that explores thoughts and feelings surrounding the events of
one’s life. Psychotherapists often recommend journaling to assist clients in gaining valuable self-knowledge.
As for the mental health benefits of journaling, they've been scientifically proven. Research shows that journaling can help relieve
the symptoms of depression, improve cognitive function, and reduce stress.
In a study at the University of Texas at Austin, researchers had a group of depressed college students partake in regular journal
writing. At the 6-month mark, participants showed significantly lower depression symptoms. Other research has found that
expressive writing reduced depression symptoms among those with a maladaptive ruminative tendency to brood.
A 2005 study at Stanford University found that expressive writing reduced the symptoms of depression and PTSD in survivors of
intimate partner violence.
Although some people prefer to use a computer, journaling usually works best using a classic book type journal with blank or
lined pages. That being said, don’t feel constrained to just use lined paper and a pen. Use whatever tools that you need to
express yourself. Try different pens, colored paper, chalk, crayons, paint, photos, glue, magic markers, and whatever else you can come up with.
Journaling has been shown to be one of the most powerful interventions for psychiatric problems. James Pennebaker, a professor of psychology
and researcher at the University of Texas, has done extensive research showing how writing down your thoughts and feelings can improve physical
as well as mental health. He conducted research in which his patients would write for 15 to 20 minutes a day about challenging aspects of their
lives. The patients reported better health even months after the research.
Journaling has been found to be helpful for people who are trying to quit smoking. At study at the Mayo Clinic concluded that expressive
writing greatly improved smoking cessation rates. According to the researchers, “The results suggest that expressive writing has promise as a
smoking cessation treatment adjunct.”
Journaling is a powerful psychotherapeutic tool that has proved useful in reducing stress in a number of studies. One study had 61
patients with asthma and 51 with rheumatoid arthritis write about either highly stressful or emotionally neutral events for 20 minutes a
day on 3 consecutive days. Four months after the intervention, those in both disease categories who wrote about traumatic events were
significantly improved compared with those writing about neutral events. Moreover, the asthma patients showed improved lung function and
rheumatoid arthritis patients showed improved disease function.
Journaling in psychotherapy can be used in a variety of ways, usually with the therapist providing topics for the client to write about.
During sessions, the client is invited to explore thoughts and ideas that came up during the journaling process.
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Tuesday, January 06, 2009
The use of journaling, also known as expressive writing or journal therapy, has a long history as a therapeutic measure. Journaling,
whether done alone or in conjunction with traditional psychotherapy, is an effective stress management tool that provides numerous
emotional and health benefits. It’s also one of the easiest and most powerful ways to accelerate personal development.
