How To Journal For Therapy And Health
Journaling, or the process of recording one’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences for personal benefit, can take many different forms and be used for many different things. For instance, some people may keep a gratitude journal to create a regular practice of giving thanks, and some people may keep a daily journal recounting the highlights from their days to help them reflect on experiences and have a record to look back on.
Journaling can also be used for therapy, and one form of therapy that has been found to have a range of benefits is expressive writing, which involves writing about traumatic events. In this article, we’ll explore expressive writing and the mental and physical health benefits it can bring.
Benefits of expressive writing
Beyond journal therapy, there are also many other types of therapeutic writing and ways it can be done, including the following:
- Art journaling with collages and artistic pieces
- Written journaling with a handwritten telling of events, emotions, or ideas
- Online journaling, which can be done through an app, program, or website
- Guided journaling, which involves written responses to prompts
- Gratitude journaling, which involves writing down things you are grateful for using positive psychology.
A few of the potential benefits of journal therapy include the following:
Physical health
Research has found that expressive writing can bring a range of improvements in longer-term physical health outcomes, including fewer illness-related visits to the doctor, improved lung function, and improved immune system functioning.
Emotional health
Behavioral health
How to journal for therapy
Journal for 15-20 minutes
Writing in a therapy journal may feel intimidating at first, but it doesn’t have to be a huge, time-consuming endeavor. If you are interested in starting a journal for therapeutic reasons, consider setting a timer for 15 to 20 minutes and trying to write continuously for that time, but then stopping when the timer goes off.
Journal consistently when learning how to journal for therapy
Like other mindfulness practices, when trying to use journal therapy or another form of journaling for therapy, it can be helpful for the therapeutic process to do it consistently, rather than just doing it once. Journal therapy is typically done every day for several consecutive days, so you might try this approach.
When you write in your journal every day or on a schedule, you might feel more accustomed to writing, making it easier to express yourself. In addition, it can give you a more comprehensive backlog of journal entries to look back on as you go through life and as your journaling practice expands.
Don't put strict expectations on yourself
Many people feel that journaling or writing therapy "should" go a certain way. However, putting expectations on a creative process might cause you to feel pressured, stressed, and nervous about journaling. Instead of forcing yourself to journal in the same way someone else might, find a process that works for you.
If you don't like to write long paragraphs in a journal, you might find that jotting down quick bullet points feels more comfortable to you. When you journal, you don’t have to worry about grammar, punctuation, spelling, or style—you can simply focus on getting your thoughts down on paper.
While writing in your journal, you might feel self-conscious or worried about what other people would think about your writing. Note that you don't have to show your journal entries to others if you don't feel comfortable, and your writing is for your own benefit and emotional growth.
Keeping a therapy journal has many possible benefits, but it can sometimes be challenging to do it regularly on your own, and it may be more beneficial alongside professional mental health treatment like therapy.
Effectiveness of online therapy
How do I start journaling for therapy?
A therapist can typically provide information on how to begin journal therapy and will likely provide customized recommendations based on the needs of their client. However, they may recommend some of the following tips:
- Try to write regularly - Find a schedule you can stick to.
- Make it simple - Keep a therapeutic journal handy so you can write when inspiration strikes.
- Use something other than words - Draw a picture or incorporate art.
- Keep it easy - You don’t have to write about a traumatic event every time you write in your therapy journal. Instead, create lists or talk about your daily events.
- Customize therapy journaling - Do what works for you. For some people, that’s free-form writing. For others, they may need more structure to start writing.
What should I write in my therapy journal?
When therapy journaling, you can write about your thoughts, feelings, and reactions to experiences. It may be helpful to focus on the topics you’re working on in therapy. You may reflect on patterns you notice, challenges you’re facing, and progress you’re making. You might write about your last therapy session or the details of particularly emotional experiences in your past. There isn’t usually a right or wrong way to journal, but a therapist can help you find a journaling technique that might work for your specific goals and needs.
There is no correct way to write in a journal for therapy. However, your therapist may have specific recommendations. You may focus on a specific event or write about your latest therapy session. Some tips for getting the most out of journaling, include:
- Choose a medium (i.e., leather bound journal or note app on your phone)
- Create a journaling routine
- Find a comfortable space
- Write in a regular routine
- Be non-judgmental
- Be honest
According to Psychology Today, it’s best to set aside a few minutes each day to write freely without worrying about grammar, spelling, or structure. Consider using journal prompts to get started. Often, the simple act of journaling can provide many mental and physical health benefits.
Why do I struggle to journal for therapy?
There are several reasons why you might struggle to journal for therapy. Some of the most common reasons include a lack of motivation, perfectionism, and the fear that someone might read things you’ve written in your journal.
Is there a wrong way to start a therapy journal?
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to keeping a therapy journal. Journal therapy is deeply personal, so what works for one person might not work for someone else. Some common ways people journal for therapy include reflecting on previous therapy sessions, doodling or drawing in their journal, and writing about their emotions.
What are the benefits of having a therapy journal?
Having a therapy journal can help you manage stress, overcome negative thinking, and improve your self-confidence and self-compassion. A therapy journal can also help you track your progress in therapy so you can see how far you’ve come on your journey.
What is the 4 day journaling protocol?
The 4-day journaling protocol is a structured writing exercise where a person writes about a significant personal experience for 15-20 minutes each day for four days in a row. It’s intended to help people understand and move through challenging or negative experiences and can be a journaling technique used to manage trauma for trauma survivors. Generally, the person should focus on the same event for each of the sessions.
How do I start a self healing journal to improve my mental health?
When starting a self-healing journal, it’s important to focus on exploring your thoughts, feelings, and experiences openly and without judgment. It may be helpful to use prompts and questions like “What do I need to heal from?” or “What are my biggest strengths?” You can try to write letters to your past or future self, write about an experience through a different perspective, or write about your intrusive thoughts.
What is the first step in journaling for mental and physical health?
The first step in journaling for mental and physical health is often to start by noting your current state, especially if you were recently diagnosed with any medical conditions or are experiencing symptoms. Journal therapy has been proven effective in helping people process emotions, track symptoms, and identify patterns that can affect well-being. Beginning with some simple reflections on how you feel each day, what symptoms or emotions arise, and thoughts related to your mental or physical health journey.
How do you process trauma through journaling your thoughts and feelings?
Writing freely about your thoughts and feelings about a traumatic experience may be helpful for processing trauma. Human beings often benefit from expressing difficult emotions in a way that makes sense to us personally. You can revisit the same topic in multiple journal entries, gradually exploring different layers of your feelings, which may help you understand and release them over time.
Is journaling free therapy?
While it isn’t a substitute for professional therapy, journaling can serve as a helpful self-care tool that allows individuals to explore their thoughts and emotions. By building good habits around regular writing, journaling can support mental clarity, emotional release, and personal growth.
Extra Question: What is the 15 minute writing protocol?
The 15-minute writing protocol (also called the Pennebaker Writing Procol) requires people to write 15 minutes, once a week, for four weeks about the same traumatic event. It’s meant to help people explore and process deep emotions related to the chosen event and improve mental and physical health by writing about them on paper.
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