It is no surprise that as a stationery company, we are huge advocates of the benefits of journaling for mental health. The release of words and emotions floating around in your brain, making their way out through your pen and onto paper, is like ‘letting go’ of all of the worries of the day. However you are feeling, journaling can be an amazing tool when it comes to understanding your emotions, your behaviours, your habits and your goals. Read on for 7 amazing benefits of journaling for mental health so you can see how you can add it to your life! 

7 amazing benefits of journaling for mental health 

It makes you take 5 minutes for yourself.

The modern world is tough and it can be tricky to slow down and take time for yourself – we get that! Making a habit of journaling for mental health forces you to take five minutes out of your day to focus on you, how you’re feeling, and what you want. Make it a self-care activity, put your favourite song on, sit in a comfy chair and with your favourite mug and a warm drink whilst you work through your thoughts of the day. 

It helps you practice mindfulness.

According to the NHS, mindfulness means ‘paying more attention to the present moment – to your own thoughts and feelings, and to the world around you’ and can help to improve your mental wellbeing. Journaling is a tool you can use to practice mindfulness, because it makes you stop and look inwardly at yourself and how you feel, and pay attention to the smaller details and how they may be affecting you. Mindfulness is a great way to regularly check in on your mental wellbeing, so regularly doing some journaling can help your brain to stay in good shape!  

It guides your intentions.

Feeling a little bit lost? Try turning to your journal. We’ve all been in a place where things seem unclear and we don’t know which step to take next. We think that the action of writing itself helps with gaining clarity on what to do in these situations – you have to decide which order those words are going to come out in, so you have to stop and think before putting pen to paper. Your ideas end up on the page in an order you may not have thought about, and it can help you decide what your priorities are. Try it next time you’re feeling stuck!

It can assist you in achieving your goals.

Making a habit out of your journaling can help you to stick to your other habits, too. Trying to drink more water? Write down in your journal each day how much you have managed, and see your progress! Trying to read more? Keep track of how many pages you have read (you could even get a book journal for this, if you have lots of book-related habits and would like extra guidance). Adding just one habit – journaling – into your daily routine can help you to stay on top of other habits that will improve your lifestyle, and in turn, your mental wellbeing. You can thank us later!

It can have positive effect on your physical health, too.

Want to sleep better? Try journaling. Studies have shown that writing down a to-do list before bed can actually improve your sleep quality! Journaling could be seen as a form of ‘cognitive offloading’ – performing a physical action to reduce the amount of mental work you need to perform. By writing down any upcoming tasks or worries before bed, you allow your brain to stop holding onto them when you’re trying to sleep – you can just look at them again in the morning. And what does better sleep mean? Improved mental health. Journals really do work wonders!

It can help you to let go of your anxieties.

Have you ever been caught in a cycle of rumination – letting the negative thoughts take over to a point where it feels difficult to let go of them? There is a lot of data to show that writing freely for 15–20 minutes on several consecutive days can significantly reduce stress and anxiety and help break negative thought patterns.

We’ve found a refillable notebook can be a great tool for this – write down all of your worries or worst-case scenarios, then simply tear them away (but please do recycle!). Each day you’ll have a fresh start and the act of getting rid of your worries from the day before can act like a physical representation of what your brain needs – to leave those emotions behind. 

It helps you manage and understand your emotions.

Counsellor Rebecca Vivash describes journaling as ‘helpful for emotional regulation and well as being a great outlet for externalising your feelings’. One of the best benefits of journaling for mental health is that it can help to give you clarity. A great tip for journaling is to ‘just write’ even when it feels like you have nothing to say – it might help you to uncover something you didn’t realise was taking up space in your mind! 

We hope this blog has encouraged you to start journaling for mental health and wellbeing. If you’re still not quite sure where to start, we’ve got a little something to help! If you sign up to our newsletter, you can get our FREE guide to journaling, including 80 prompts for happiness and productivity. Click here to sign up! 

Let us know why you find journaling useful and if you have any tips, please share them in the comments to help others too! 

P.S. Still looking for the perfect journal? Take a look at our range of personalised notebooks to start you off on the right page.