Journaling as a Recovery and Resilience Building Tool

My favorite journaling tips

Reflecting to March 2020, we had no idea that we would still be in the midst of a global pandemic for more than a few weeks. As we enter into 2022, the pandemic lingers and with it have come many challenges including mental health struggles. If you are experiencing mental health challenges, you are not alone. Studies have shown that depression rates in the US have escalated since the pandemic began with depression stats being estimated at 1 in every 3 American adults. Alarmingly, these statistics alert us to a growing secondary pandemic which is mental health related.

So, what can be done to help?

One important tool in protecting our mental health is developing resilience. Exactly what IS resilience? NAMI defines resilience as “the process of finding healthy ways to adapt and cope with adversity and distress.” Another way to think of it would be that resilience is the inner strength that each of us have within us to help us overcome difficulty. Sometimes, resilience comes easily and naturally, but other times it needs to be honed and developed in order for us to get the full benefit of what we need.

Journaling as a Recovery & Resilience Building Tool

One way to build resilience is through journaling. Journaling is the process of putting your thoughts, feelings, and emotions into words or even drawings. Journal entries can be written, typed, or drawn – whatever is a personal preference.  There are basically limitless methods to journaling and the experience should be something that motivates and encourages everyone in their mental health journey.  

According to WebMD, some of the mental health benefits of journaling include:

  • Reduction in anxiety. Journaling about your feelings is linked to decreased mental distress. In a study, researchers found that those with various medical conditions and anxiety who wrote online for 15 minutes three days a week over a 12-week period had increased feelings of well-being and fewer depressive symptoms after one month. Their mental well-being continued to improve during the 12 weeks of journaling.
  • Help with brooding. Writing about an emotional event can help you break away from the nonstop cycle of obsessively thinking and brooding over what happened — but the timing matters. Some studies show that writing about a traumatic event immediately after it happens may actually make you feel worse.
  • Regulation of emotions. Brain scans of people who wrote about their feelings showed that they were able to control their emotions better than those who wrote about a neutral experience. This study also found that writing about feelings in an abstract way was more calming than writing vividly.
  • Accelerated physical healing. Journaling may also have an impact on physical health. A study on 49 adults in New Zealand found that those who wrote for 20 minutes about their feelings on upsetting events healed faster after a biopsy than those who wrote about daily activities. Similarly, college students who wrote about stressful events were less likely to get sick compared to those who wrote about neutral topics like their room.

Journaling is also a cost-effective method to help build resilience because you don’t need much to get started. For “traditional” journaling, you simply need a journal and a pen or pencil. If you have a computer or smart device, you can create typed journal entries. As stated above, journaling methods are basically limitless, so finding a way that works best for each person is key to success.

If you are struggling to get started journaling, here is a list of journal ideas to help with getting your thoughts collected and into writing:

  • Gratitude Journaling: Each day write about at least three things you are thankful for within that day. It can be anything from the simplest to the grandest of things just as long as you focus on things that you have to be thankful for in your life on that day.
  • Affirmation Journaling: Focus on things that are good about yourself, your life, etc. Some prompts include
    • I love myself because…
    • I deserve to be happy because…
    • My past does not define me because…
    • Things I am proud of in my lifetime are…
  • Anxiety Reducing Journaling: This is a method of naming your anxiety factors and working out ways to overcome them. Some prompts include:
    • Some examples of my fears being proved wrong are…
    • I know my fears are unrealistic because…
    • Three examples that remind me that I am safe and secure are…
    • Things I know I have control over in my life are…
    •  If I feel anxious today, I will control my thoughts by…
  • Focus Journaling: This provides a means of focusing on the positive and away from the negative situations in life. Some prompts include:
    • Things I was able to accomplish today are…
    • My key takeaway lessons from today are…
    • Tomorrow I am looking forward to…
    • I know that I focus better when I…
  • Confidence Journaling: This helps to provide introspective into the things that make each of us individual and help us to focus on our positive traits and strengths.
    • I am very good at…
    • I can help others by…
    • I know that I am self-conscious about __________, but I can overcome that by…
    • Things I like most about myself are…

These are just some of the many journaling ideas and prompts that can help each person who takes the time to journal regularly. Journaling isn’t only for those experiencing anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues. We encourage everyone to either use a personal journal or use a computer to collect your thoughts each day. If you would like a free journal, please contact Irene Barton at ibarton@cobbcollaborative.org. We would be more than happy to provide a journal to anyone who would like one because the benefits of journaling are tremendous for everyone!

Posted in