Journaling for Anxiety Makes a Positive Difference

Journaling for my anxiety is one technique that I have used in my life to help me cope with stress and anxious thoughts, and lately, it has become even more helpful.

How Journaling for Anxiety Can Help

First of all, journaling for anxiety is a great way to express and process your emotions instead of keeping them bottled inside. Whether you are using a hand-written journal or are typing your thoughts on your computer, simply transforming what you are thinking and feeling into the written word can be cathartic.

Journaling can also help to identify, specifically, what is causing anxiety. Having that visual representation of your feelings in words can be a helpful method for figuring out what is troubling you. Then, you can develop a plan for dealing with it. Personally, I find that writing out my thoughts and emotions helps me to make sense of them. It allows me to organize them in a way that I can see, rather than being jumbled in my own mind. Instead of feeling frustrated because I feel anxious and don't know why, I can see it on paper and try to sort it out.

When you journal for anxiety, you are expressing yourself to something that is completely impartial and non-judgmental. It can sometimes be difficult to discuss sensitive thoughts and feelings with someone that you know since you may have concerns about what he or she will think. This is one of the benefits of speaking with a therapist since therapists and counselors are a completely impartial party. Journaling can be similar. That piece of paper will not react or judge you for what you record on it.

Journaling is a great way to reflect. I find that journaling helps me to reflect on things that went well or things that I had difficulty with. It can help me to visualize my thoughts and see if there are certain distortions that I can maybe work on or self-talk that I may need to change.

How to Start Journaling for Anxiety

Try to take a few minutes each day to write. Setting aside a few minutes each day is a great way to establish a routine with journaling for anxiety. One thing that I have started to do is carry a notebook and a pen with me. I write things down that I am thinking about, as soon as I am thinking about it. Doing so allows me to work through those thoughts and feelings in real-time, rather than later trying to remember what I was thinking or feeling. 

Write freely. Don't write what you think you should write or write as though you are doing so for an audience. Being genuine and honest with yourself in what you write can help you to truly connect with your emotions.

Try journaling for a few minutes for a few days and pay close attention to how you feel and if you find that it helps you to noticeably feel better.

Do you currently journal for anxiety? Share in the comments below how it has been helpful for you.