How to use journaling to reduce stress and anxiety ?
If you are prompt to stress and anxiety, journaling can be a great tool to manage your emotions. Writing down about experiences that made you stressed, your thoughts and feelings in detail in your journal helps you calm your mind and body.
Being stressed from time to time is not a problem if it doesn’t impact your everyday life. It’s normal for individuals to experience stressful events in their life. But stress can become a physical and mental health problem when the symptoms evolve into:
- Aches and pains
- Chronic fatigue
- Frequent infections and poor immune health
- Heart palpitations
Today we will see how you can use journaling to manage your stress before it becomes a bigger problem.
Steps to try out
Journaling is an efficient and easy tool to relieve stress. There are many ways you can journal. Try out different techniques to find out what suits you best.
1. Make journaling a self-care moment
See journaling as a self-care moment. Your moment. Setting aside time to write in your journal for 5 minutes everyday is great but you can also try to make it a more relaxed moment by putting on calm music, lighting a candle, drinking a cup of tea.
Creating a cozy, peaceful environment when journaling will help your body and mind relax more easily and help you be in the present.
2. Free writing journal
Free writing journal is probably the most accessible and easy way to start journaling. You just have to let your thoughts wander and write down anything that comes through your mind.
3. Creative journal
Journaling has no rules so you can do whatever you want. Relieve your stress by letting the artist inside you take control and explore creative forms such as drawing, painting, collage etc.
Make your journal unique to you. Creative forms can be for some people more therapeutic than using only words.
4. Emotional release journal
You might want to use your journal to write down your emotions and feelings about positive and negative events you experienced. At the end of each day, take some time to reflect on your day.
Seeing your thoughts and the events related to them on paper is a great way to manage negativity and savor positive feelings. It’s also great for self-awareness and introspection.
Overall, incorporation journaling in your daily life is a great tool for self growth and wellbeing. Obviously, the more you practice the more efficient it becomes. But even if you journal occasionally you can see positive results.
Be patient and consistent and more importantly enjoy your journaling journey.
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