From Mind to Paper: Here’s how expressing your feelings through words can improve your mental health!
Mindfulness by Miles?
In today’s digital age, content from the Internet is much more accessible than at any other point in time.
While this has been beneficial in keeping a great number of people informed, this has also led some to stay chronically online and glued to their device’s screen just to stay updated about the latest news and developments around the globe. The overwhelming need to stay updated has become harmful to mental health.
Fortunately, there’s a way to stay away from your screen while significantly boosting your mental health!
The solution?
Journaling!
Photos from Unsplash
Similar to a diary, WebMD describes journaling as the dedicated act of writing down your personal thoughts, feelings, insights, and more on a piece of paper or a notebook.?
While journaling can be done digitally, writing it down on paper is still the best way to express your thoughts and emotions. Unlike digital journaling, writing on paper offers a stronger emotional connection and an environment free of digital temptations.?
So, how does journaling positively impact your mental health?
Journaling enables you to clear your mind, change your perspective, and better process your emotions.?
Aside from those benefits, here are the other positive results of journaling to your mental health:
The act of writing down your feelings is actually linked to decreased distress and anxiety.?
According to a 2018 study published by JMIR Mental Health, journaling can help individuals manage their anxiety levels.
Similarly, a study conducted in Pennsylvania found that people with anxiety who journaled at least 15 minutes a day reduced the amount of stress they felt.?
Journaling gives you an opportunity to express your emotions and inner thoughts in a safe and private space without judgment, creating a positive impact on you and your mental health.?
Journaling allows you to better understand yourself since it allows you to process and acknowledge what you feel.?
Writing down your negative thoughts and feelings can help clear your mind and enable you to manage your emotions more effectively, think more objectively, and become better at handling difficult and stressful situations.?
So, if you haven’t journaled before, now is the time to consider doing it! … and if you want to start journaling now, you don’t have to worry, as this activity is all about creating a safe space for you to express yourself freely.
If you’re unsure how to start, here a couple of tips you can use to help you get started:?
领英推荐
Journaling method refers to the specific technique you use to achieve a particular goal.?
If you are just starting out, you can explore different journaling methods to find out which works best for you.?
You can try to reflect on your experiences and emotions with reflective journaling, or clear your head with freewriting, or maybe express gratitude with gratitude journaling.?????
There’s no right or wrong way to journal. The key to journaling is choosing the method that resonates with you as different journaling methods work for different people.?
Journaling is an activity that doesn’t have to be time consuming. Sometimes, 10 minutes is all you need to write your worries and anxieties away, helping you clear your mind and organize your thoughts.
However, when starting out, it can be difficult to find out what you want to write about, thus taking up your time. One of the best workarounds to this problem is creating guide questions such as:?
Remember: There’s no one-size-fits-all in journaling. So, utilize these tips based on your personality and preferences.?
—?
Overall, the impact of journaling on your mental health extends beyond yourself. When you are in a better mental state, you can create a better environment for yourself and the people around you.
Through journaling, you can set yourself up for success in conquering your personal struggles and improving your mental health.?
So, if you haven’t yet, pick up that pen and start journaling!?
You never know, this just might be what you need to further improve your mental well-being and set yourself up for success in conquering your struggles!?
I hope you found today’s topic helpful!
EXCITING NEWS AHEAD?
The world of work has shifted, and there’s no going back. The barriers to entry have never been lower for talented professionals to work independently, and today’s massive external workforce is hardly a pandemic-produced fad. Business owners can only survive in the new work landscape by partnering with this deep talent pool.
With decades of experience in both small-business entrepreneurship and executive management at PwC, I truly believe that the future of work is independent.
With that, I’m happy to share with you that my book, co-authored with Walter Scott Lamb, is now available for pre-order on Amazon!?
This is an essential read for both independent professionals and corporate executives. Here, we provide educational and practical guides to unpack the ever-growing workforce and offer you crucial ways to become a client of choice.?
Click on the link above to pre-order your copy. Let this book help you future-proof your career and organization in the new world of work.
For a daily version of this newsletter, please subscribe here .