I have written before about my own inability to journal, until I started blogging. Once I started, I found that it was extremely helpful in my depression recovery. I have been able to work through many things right here in front of all the world.

My journal/blog has become my best friend.  I can be completely honest with it and it will not judge me.  While I am not suggesting that using a blog as a journal is a good idea for everyone, it has been in my case.  I have some accountability from my regular readers and they also have been a terrific support system.

Even though I did not see the value in journaling when I was younger, I do now. In my opinion, it is not just good for people who have a mental illness, it would also benefit the mentally healthy.

Journaling Can Help Your Mind and Body

Journaling is different than keeping a traditional diary.  Most people use diaries to record daily events and happenings.  Journals are used to record our emotions, reactions, and perceptions of those events.

Keeping a journal is good way to start coping with mental health issues.  It is something you can do by yourself, and it allows you to see your emotions in black and white.  Once your thoughts and feelings are out of your brain and on paper, there is no longer any mystery attached to them.   This allows you to gain some insight about them. Journaling removes mental blocks and lets you use your brain power to better understand yourself, others and the world around you.

Some studies have shown that writing about upsetting personal experiences, for only about twenty minutes, three or four times a week can drastically reduce a person’s blood pressure.  Other studies suggest that journaling can reduce the symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.  It is thought that writing about stressful events helps a person come to terms with them, thereby reducing the impact they have on a person’s physical health.

Some benefits of journaling:

Clarifying your thoughts and feelings. When your thoughts and feelings are all jumbled up in your head, take a few minutes to write them down, without any editing. This will help you to quickly get in touch with your internal world.

Getting to know yourself better. By journaling on a routine basis, you will get to know what makes you happy and confident.  It also makes clear which situations and people are toxic for you, important information for your emotional well being.

Reducing stress. Writing about anger, stress, sadness and other painful emotions allows you to release them.  Doing that will help you feel calmer and help you manage your emotions.

Effective problem solving. Writing helps us come up with creative  and unexpected solutions to problems, that on the surface, seem unsolvable.

Finding resolutions to disagreements. Writing about misunderstandings with other people rather than sitting and stewing about them, allows you to see things from their perspective.   This very often leads to a solution that both parties can agree on.

If you are resistant to the idea of keeping a journal, get creative.  Try using a recording device for your journaling, this can include using a web cam.  Blogging is also an effective but fun way to keep a journal.