Journaling - How easy is it?

The simplicity of journaling
By Jess Jacobs

It is incredibly easy for life and its many challenges to overwhelm us wave after wave. Sometimes we may feel that it is just impossible to keep afloat and our daily struggles and thoughts are drowning us.

There is one simple strategy that just may help us get some air, that is journaling! This is not something new, fancy or very difficult but can be extremely helpful.

What is journaling?

Journaling has been proven to benefit psychological health, levels of optimism and overall life satisfaction. It is a tool that can be used by anyone for self-expression, gratitude or reflection. The best part is there is no right or wrong way to do it! Journaling can be defined and practiced differently by everyone.

How do I journal?

Let’s dive into some general journaling options to start off with.

Journaling can be done by writing in a book, typing on a phone, in a word doc, through drawing or even an audio recording. The content of the journaling session could be a simple recount of the day, what was challenging, what were the positive aspects and what there is to be grateful for.

Journaling doesn’t have a time limit either, it can be 3 dot points on a page that takes 5 minutes to come up with or even a 5 page word doc which ends up being a 2 hour session!

Why should I journal?

Journaling’s positive affect offers a safe environment for emotional expression, enhancing sense of control and improving coping capabilities. Journaling improves upon not only mental health and wellbeing but also self-reflection, awareness, goal setting and empowerment. Journaling provides an emotional release which you can reflect upon in the moment and also look back on to see your own progress and growth overtime.

Journaling may increase positive affect, however everyone’s desire for change needs to be considered. Individuals desire for happiness is positively related to increased positive emotions when journaling compared to people with low levels of desire. So basically, you need to want it for it to happen!

References:

Krentzman, A. R., Hoeppner, S. S., Hoeppner, B. B., & Barnett, N. P. (2024). A randomized feasibility study of a positive psychology journaling intervention to support recovery from substance-use disorders. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, 164, Article 209410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josat.2024.209410

Yu, C.-W., Chang, Y.-P., Li, C.-H., & Wu, H.-Y. (2023). From Emotion Beliefs to Regulatory Behavior: Gratitude Journaling Initiation and Outcomes. Journal of Happiness Studies, 24(1), 57–78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-022-00584-5

About the author - Jess Jacobs

Jess Jacobs completed this blog post as part of her student placement with Life Minded Psychology while undertaking her Bachelor of Psychology at RMIT University. This task was designed to help Jess develop her professional communication skills and translate psychological concepts into accessible, reader-friendly content. Her blog post reflected her ability to communicate evidence-based ideas in a way that promotes understanding and awareness within the community.

A big thank you from Life Minded Psychology to Jess for sharing her knowledge and reflections through this blog post!