We’ve all been through a lot in the past year. The global pandemic pulled the rug from under many of us and affected our mental wellbeing in more ways than we can imagine. There are ways however to make things better. All you need is a trusty notebook and your favorite pen.
Writing a diary has been proven to improve mental health for people who’ve suffered traumatic events and want to grow from their experiences. According to a Cambridge University study, writing about stressful, emotional, and traumatic events has been found to improve physical and psychological wellbeing. It can clear your head, help you fight off bad thoughts, and solve immediate problems more easily and objectively.
It’s proven that journaling is a therapeutic experience and best of all – it’s extremely easy to pick up and do it yourself. Let’s talk about how you can write a diary and benefit from it because there are no real negatives to it.
Overcoming Traumatic Events and PTSD
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious mental condition which victims of abuse and survivors of traumatic events often experience. Even though psychological therapy can help considerably, there is also journaling to consider. Scientific research has shown that writing about pain and posttraumatic stress can help reduce these mental conditions in survivors.
People who have gone through trauma, both mental and physical, have been found to recover through journaling about their past. Writing a diary about the negative thoughts and events you’ve gone through will help you make them concrete and thus help you overcome them. Moreover, it can help you put them away from your mind and onto a piece of paper where they are less harmful and more manageable.
Reduction in Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms
Writing about your daily experiences, whether they’re positive or negative, will allow you to filter your thoughts and think more clearly. A medical study found that writing has beneficial effects on students who experience anxiety and depression as a result of overworking themselves.
Students who write diaries about their thoughts and feelings are more likely to overcome their depressive rumination episodes than those that bottle their emotions up. With so many essays, papers, and studying to do all the time, many students are prone to anxiety and panic attacks. Using TopEssayWriting to get professional help for writing and editing college papers is a great way to free up precious time for college students. Coupled with writing a diary, students will be far less likely to experience episodes of depression and anxiety.
Improved Cognitive Abilities and Memorization
People who write a diary are used to writing daily. Such a process involves memorizing what one has done throughout the day to then write it down in detail. An American Phycological Association study has shown that working memory improvements have been known to manifest in individuals who journal regularly. The participants in the said study also exhibited richer and more argumentative vocabularies than people who don’t journal.
The study points to improvements in both mental and physical abilities, which is an amazing discovery to consider. This is an extremely valuable benefit to journaling, whether you’re a student, a parent, or a grandparent. Journaling will cause your memory to improve, and you will think more clearly and come up with creative ideas thanks to it.
Boosted Physical Immune Functions
The way you think about a disease or a trauma is how it will affect your body over time. This is why adopting a positive outlook on a bad situation is important, no matter how negative it may seem at the moment. Failing to do that can result in your mental or physical well-being deteriorating further.
A Guilford Publications study on expressive writing has showcased that people who write about their thoughts and emotions exhibit improved immune functions. Blood tests were conducted on the research participants, and it was determined that those who hid their trauma also experienced worse physical immunity to diseases. Taking up a positive stance on your life is extremely important, no matter how bad things get. Writing about what you’re going through can make you feel better physically and give you the energy you need to fight back.
How to Get Started on Writing a Diary?
It’s easy to see how beneficial writing a diary can be for you, both from a medical and practical perspective. But how do you get started? What do you need to start journaling and take advantage of all the things we’ve discussed?
- Grab a notebook with a design or a pattern you enjoy looking at and keep it close by
- Start small and write about what you’re doing or what you did recently – there are no rules, it’s your journal!
- Date your journal entries to keep up with your writing and know when each page was written
- There are various types of journaling to enjoy – daily journaling, to-do lists, and wish lists are some of them
- Journal each day in the morning and before going to sleep – get into a habit of writing daily
- Doodle, sketch, and stick stuff into your journal as memorabilia and visual references for your memories
- Keep the journal close and don’t share it with anyone if you don’t want to – it’s your private thoughts nook
Writing a Diary as a Means of Supporting your Mental Health
Whether you write a stream of thoughts or a comprehensive essay each day, do pick up writing a diary. It can help you tremendously, whether you’re a survivor of abuse or trauma or a student in need of help to study better. All you need is a trusty pen and paper to start, and you will soon find your favorite journal or notebook to write in. Carry it with you wherever you go, and it will become a part of your daily routine to write something down quickly.