Daily journaling to improve mental health

Over recent years, different types of mindfulness practice have gained popularity due to their mental and physical health benefits.

Mindfulness was once seen as purely about meditation, but today it’s understood as any practice that helps calm your mind, focus your thoughts, and give both your body and mind a break from daily stress and worries.

One of the most popular and potentially beneficial forms of mindfulness is journaling.

Explore the benefits of keeping a journal, how to journal and ways to support this healthy new habit.

More than simply keeping a diary, Lifeline Australia describes journaling as “like hitting the pause button on life's chaos”.¹

Writing down your thoughts and feelings can provide a sense of control that having thoughts swirling in your head rarely does. Because writing takes time and focus, journaling also helps you slow down and allows time to process what you want and need.

And much like talking therapy, journaling allows you to externalise your worries and separate yourself from what might be causing stress or worry.

“Journaling can help us organise our thoughts, which can help in stress management and decision-making,” says Rachael Kable, mindfulness coach and host of The Mindful Kind podcast.

Research studies have shown that regular journaling may provide many mental health benefits. These can include:²

• A reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms
• Trauma recovery
• Greater ability to separate thoughts from facts
• Improved stress management and resilience

Regular journaling has also been found to be supportive in substance use disorder recovery.³

Like any other mindfulness practice, journaling can take some time to get used to and develop as a regular practice. The good news is that you don’t need any expensive equipment to get started, and you can do it almost anywhere, anytime.

You also don’t need to spend hours writing every day to start feeling the benefits, says Kable, who suggests just several minutes a day of journaling may help you improve your mental health and stay on top of your goals.

Set aside the same time every day to journal. This might be as soon as you wake up or after dinner when the kids are in bed. Having a set time each day can help forge journaling as a new habit.

Don’t overthink it. A small notebook and a pen are all you need.

If you’re new to journaling, don’t expect that you’re going to write pages and pages in your first few weeks. Set a timer for a few minutes and write down a line or 2 about anything that’s on your mind, good or bad.

If you’re not much of a writer, consider using single words, phrases or dot points. Journaling isn’t about creating the next great novel. As long as you know the meaning behind what you’re writing, that’s all that matters.

If you’re simply not a pen-and-paper type of person but would still like to get the benefits of journaling, there’s no reason you can’t keep a digital journal.

Whether you save a file on your computer or use Notes on your phone, following the same rules of setting aside a time each day to record your thoughts digitally can be just as effective. T

here are also dedicated journaling apps that can help provide structure and regular reminders so you don’t forget to log your daily thoughts.

If you do prefer an online option, be sure to save the file securely and set your save time for regular updates so you don’t lose anything you’ve written.

Journaling can be a helpful way to sort our thoughts, gain some new perspective and discover an alternative way of looking at a situation. It can also open up a way for us to start processing difficult thoughts or feelings.

If you are starting to feel overwhelmed or would like additional support for your mental wellbeing, talk to your GP, who can recommend some alternative therapies.