BENEFITS OF JOURNALING

woman in white button up shirt holding white braille paper

There is much more to journaling than a book full of blank, lined pages or “Dear Diary.” At TOMS we believe in journaling wholeheartedly. Why? Because journaling has been proven through research and actual scientific studies, to be extremely beneficial not only to a person’s mental health, but also overall physical health. At Tattoos and our partner companies, All In Nutritionals and Revive Events, we are all about optimal mind, body and spiritual health; this guided journal is one of the most important tools in our strategic and life enhancing tool box.

On a personal note, I developed this guided journal after realizing the elements contained in it and the simple practice of reflective writing each day, had literally changed my life- hence the name, “The Life Changing Journal”. When I started seeing, feeling and experiencing the positive results of journaling using the system I had developed over time, “The Fundamental 5”, I got curious. I wondered, are these results biased on my experience, or do they carry weight? Is there something deeper going on with this daily practice? I found the latter to be true.

My curiosity led me to start researching the benefits of journaling, and furthermore, research the benefits of my system, “The Fundamental 5.” What I found was pretty astonishing. I’ll let the research speak for itself, but as you’ll see, journaling is not a flowery thing only women do. No, it is seriously effective (if used correctly) in improving one’s overall peace and joy and decreasing negative emotions and conditions like depression and anxiety.

Exercises like journaling and expressing gratitude
change brain chemistry over time.

BENEFITS OF JOURNALING ACCORDING TO RESEARCH:

Increase Happiness

Journaling can significantly reduce the symptoms of depression in women who have had abuse in their past.

Overcome Anxiety

Journaling has been proved to reduce worry and brooding of college students who are vulnerable to anxiety and depression.

Reduce Depression

Three days of expressive writing for 20 minutes has been shown to reduce the symptoms of people who have Major Depressive Disorder.

Support Healthy Cognitive Function

High risk adolescents can reduce their depressive symptoms by journaling daily as much as they can by participating in cognitive behavioral therapy.


JOURNALING HAS BEEN FOUND TO:

  • Improve one’s immune system.
  • Strengthen cognitive abilities.
  • Reduce the progression of rumination activity.
  • It has even been proven to help people with serious health conditions like multiple sclerosis, by decreasing physical symptoms after incorporating the practice for a period of time (2 weeks).
  • Can help to shift your mindset to a more elevated and positive level.

https://thedoctorweighsin.com/can-journaling-improve-your-mental-health/

  • If used in conjunction with therapy, can make therapy even more effective.
  • Dr. Charlynn Ruan, PhD, a licensed clinical therapist says journaling is like “retraining your brain,” especially when you write about positive, uplifting things.

How to Manage Depression by Writing in a Journal

  • A study of 49 adults in New Zealand found that people who journaled for 20 minutes about their feelings regarding negative events healed faster after a biopsy than those who did not.
  • Women with breast cancer who did positive, expressive writing about their experience with the disease, had few physical symptoms and fewer cancer-related medical appointments.

How Journaling Can Help Ease Anxiety and Encourage Healing