How Journaling Can Improve Physical and Mental Well-Being

Dust off that diary because the science is in: If done right, regular journaling can be a cathartic release that boosts mental and physical well-being.

Journaling helps process emotions, organize thoughts and release negative emotions. It helps develop self-awareness, the first step in creating meaningful change in your life.

When you write down your thoughts, you can recognize patterns in your thinking, says Dr. Cristi Bundukamara, a board-certified psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner who has worked in the field since 2000. Then, you can begin to question where those patterns come from, she says. What experiences informed your way of thinking and your views of yourself and others?

"Journaling can be very cathartic," she says. "You're processing by movement; you're moving your hand. You're seeing your words written down."

Multiple scientific studies have shown that journaling decreases anxiety symptoms and overall mental well-being for children and adults. A 2018 scientific study even showed multiple physical health benefits, including fewer stress-related doctor visits, lowered blood pressure and improved immune, lung and liver function.

Journaling the Right Way

But not all journaling can be beneficial, Bundukamara says. If you write about negative beliefs or emotions repeatedly, it simply reinforces those negative thoughts.

When you find yourself getting down in the dumps, release those negative emotions through a physical act, like tearing up the paper or burning it, she says. That trains your mind to let go of harmful thought patterns and beliefs.

So, focus on the positive, gratitude lists, accomplishment records or even a positive mantra are surefire ways to boost your mood.

If journaling every day feels like a chore, then don't force it. It should be enjoyable, so only do it when you want to, Bundukamara says. She emphasizes that journaling is just one tool in a whole toolbox of methods that psychologists and therapists use to improve mental and emotional well-being.

"Journaling can be a very effective way to process things, but it's not the only thing," Bundukamara says. "It can be negative because whatever we focus on is what we are and what we're going to be. So, writing can be releasing, or it can be solidifying."

How Bundukamara Incorporates Journaling Into Her Practice

Shortly after her son died in a drowning accident, another son became very sick with a rare genetic condition that would eventually claim his life and the lives of Bundukamara's daughter and husband.

Struggling with grief and trauma, all while managing her son's care, Bundukamara called her mother, distraught.

"I called her, crying, saying lots of negative things, like 'I can't do this, and I don't want to live like this.' The absolute worst place a mother can be in. And my mother said, 'Why don't you start journaling? It has helped me,'" Bundukamara says.

That conversation was the catalyst for the creation of Bundukamara's Mentally STRONG Method, which uses journaling to blend cognitive behavioral therapy with an organizational method that increases self-awareness, challenges negative thinking, encourages positive decision-making and enhances mental strength.

The beginning stages of the process include thought-mapping, a practice in which participants identify a current thought or feeling. Participants then identify contributing factors to the central thought to discover any potential connections or themes.

From there, participants categorize information and identify where change is possible and wanted in each area of their lives, including personally, professionally and spiritually. The exercise culminates in creating a powerful personal vision for sustainable, healthy mental strength.