Journaling has been a staple recommendation among mental health professionals to help individuals cope with mental health concerns and challenges.

Notebooks and yearly planners now have writing prompts that encourage regular reflection and expression of thoughts and feelings. These prompts are also on downloadable self-help apps.

Many researchers have looked into the effects of journaling in managing mental health. A review by Smyth (1998) of 13 experimental studies on emotional expressive writing found journaling helpful in improving physical and psychological well-being among healthy individuals.

A meta-analysis of nine (9) experimental studies by Frisina, Borod, and Lepore (2004) showed that journaling modestly improves health outcomes for those suffering from physical illnesses. On the other hand, among those experiencing psychological and psychiatric problems, Frisina et. al. (2004) cited studies that found structured writing as more beneficial to the mental health of the said population group than unstructured emotional expressive writing.

The positive health effects are likely because writing can help process stressful experiences (Winegarner, 2012) and organize incoherent painful memories (Markman, 2009). 

One example would be the experience of war correspondent David Yates who had been diagnosed with PTSD and admitted to a psychiatric ward: “In my early weeks in Ward 17, my legs would tap non-stop on the floor during therapy, a reflection of my anxiety. When I wrote, they were still (Yates, 2016).”

In addition,  journaling about stressful thoughts and experiences is associated with better immune function (Francis & Pennebaker, 1992; Petrie, Booth & Pennebaker, 1998).

With the advent of technology, journaling can now be done on laptops and mobile phones, which some people find more accessible and convenient. What does research say about this?

A study by Meer and Weel (2017) pointed out that handwriting engages more areas of the brain involving more cognitive processes compared to typing on mobile devices. In making sense of an experience through journaling, these cognitive processes may be important.

But does this mean we shouldn’t use mobile devices for journaling? Absolutely not. Because of their ease and accessibility, what we can do is type our journal entries on mobile devices when something noteworthy comes up during the day. You can go back to these notes later in the day in time for your longer journal entries. 

Journaling has helped me since elementary school to better express my thoughts and emotions. Later, I realized that it has honed my skills in writing and storytelling. It became a hobby, and it made me seek out good reads because I wanted to be a writer.

Reflecting on it now, I found journaling a safe space to let out whatever might be dangerous to bottle up inside. Writing has helped me create and nurture a safe space within myself and develop an accepting and non-judgmental regard for my thoughts and feelings.

I have also observed that journaling unburdens my mind of relentless thinking about things that are beyond my control, and shifts the focus on what I am capable of. And it indeed made me feel and helped me become capable. 

Last but not least, I found it fun and enjoyable. I keep a dream journal that is entertaining to read after some time.

Speaking of, I backread some of my entries lodged in different notebooks and summed up the themes of most of my entries into the following journal prompts. Let me share these personal writing prompts with you, and I hope these help:

• What happened in my dream last night? Relate to my waking life.
• What’s new today and how am I doing? What has been bothering me lately and why?
• Dear Universe…
• Dear younger self…
• Dear future self, I hope you are…
• Things I learned from other people today

How about you, what do you want to write about? If you’re still looking to begin a healthy habit this year to improve your well-being, try journaling! 

References:

Markman, A. (2009, October 20). Trauma and the Benefits of Writing About it. Psychologytoday.com. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/ulterior-motives/200910/trauma-and-the-benefits-writing-about-it

Francis, M. and Pennebaker, J. (1992). Putting Stress into Worlds: The Impact of Writing on Physiological, Absentee, and Self-Reported Well-Being Measures. American Journal of Health Promotion, 6 (4), 280-287. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.4278/0890-1171-6.4.280

Frisina, P. G., Borod, J. C. & Lepore, S. J. (2004) A meta-analysis of the effects of written emotional disclosure on the health outcomes of clinical populations. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 192, 629–634. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8364687_A_Meta-Analysis_of_the_Effects_of_Written_Emotional_Disclosure_on_the_Health_Outcomes_of_Clinical_Populations

Petrie, K., Booth, R., and Pennebaker, J. (1998). The Immunological Effects of Thought Suppression.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75 (5): 1264-1272. Retrieved from: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/eaff/8c6e9cc43dfd31369a4b83c5836115a63711.pdf

Smyth, J. M. (1998) Written emotional expression. Effect sizes, outcome types, and moderating variables. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 174–184Retrieved from: https://sparq.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj19021/files/media/file/smyth_1998_-_written_emotional_expression.pdf

van der Meer, A.L.H. and van der Weel F. R. (2017). Only Three Fingers Write, but the Whole Brain Works†: A High-Density EEG Study Showing Advantages of Drawing Over Typing for Learning. Frontiers in Psychology, Vol. 8. Retrieved from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00706/full#h2

Winegarner, B. (2012, July 20). 6 ways journalists can cope when covering tragedies like the Colorado theater shooting. Poynter.org. Retrieved from https://www.poynter.org/news/6-ways-journalists-can-cope-when-covering-tragedies-colorado-theater-shooting

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tricia Zafra, RPsy is the Relationships Editor of Subselfie.com. She’s a journalist, psychologist, university lecturer, and advocacy specialist.

She works as a clinical psychologist at Argao Psych and Mind Care Center Perpetual Help Medical Center, and teaches social science at the University of the Philippines Diliman Psychology Department.

Prior to becoming a mental health professional, she had a 12-year career as a broadcast journalist, working as News Correspondent and Anchor for RPN 9 and GMA 7, and as an Executive Producer for CNN Philippines. She transitioned into advocacy communications for Doctors Without Borders – HongKong, and served in the government as the Chief of Public Relations and Information Division of the Philippine Space Agency.

Her volunteer work includes providing peer support to journalists and media workers in distress. She also co-authored a mental health handbook for journalists and facilitated mental health sessions.

She’s a vegetarian, painter, licensed scuba diver, and a fur parent.

BA Broadcast Communication 2007 (cum laude), UP Diliman
MA Psychology 2020, UP Diliman
Topnotcher (Rank 2), 2023 Psychologists Licensure Examination