Karen Restivo
In Other Words....
When you find yourself repeatedly caught up in the cycle of overthinking, maybe it’s time to follow the expert’s advice and pick up a pen.
In author Jeremy Sutton’s article, 5 Benefits of Journaling for Mental Health, three key insights were mentioned:
“1) Journaling enhances mental clarity and emotional processing, helping to manage stress & anxiety.
2) Regular writing can boost self-esteem & mindfulness by encouraging reflection & personal growth.
3) Incorporating journaling into daily routines supports goal setting, creativity & overall wellbeing.”
Carrying it even further Sutton sites certain studies:
“Studies show that time spent journaling about our deepest thoughts and feelings can even reduce the number of sick days we take off work (Sohal, Singh, Dhillon & Gill, 2022), Research suggests that journaling can help us accept rather than judge our mental experiences, resulting in fewer negative emotions in response to stressors (Ford, Lam, John, & Mauss, 2018; Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005).”
The beauty of using journaling as a coping tool relieves you of one less prescription drug.
Authors Baikie & Wilhelm in their research lists a wide range of physical, cognitive, and emotional benefits from expressive writing:
“*Lowered blood pressure, *Improved lung and liver function, *Less time spent in hospital, *Better moods, *Improved psychological wellbeing, *Fewer depressive and avoidance symptoms, *Reduced stress-related visits to the doctor, *Less work absenteeism, *Less time out of work following job loss, *Higher student grade averages.”
What’s more, some individuals when they accept the challenge of journaling, ultimately acknowledge it opens them up to a valuable part of the acceptance process.
The point of including specific research in this article is to show readers that science is backing up the suggestion of choosing journaling as a legitimate way of dealing with obsessive thinking.
There’s no need to pay attention to grammar or spelling errors in your writing; it’s for your eyes only.
A benefit of journaling is having access to your past thoughts to see what state of mind you were in at different times of your life and measuring how far you have come.
In other words, there is no better person to research and observe breakthroughs and milestones than yourself. What do you think?
Karenrestivo57@gmail.com