Is Journaling Helpful?

When you walk into just about any store, whether it’s a drugstore, grocery store, department store, you will most likely come across piles of different journals in countless different hues and prints, all making certain promises that their use will lead to a whole host of claims, whether it’s anxiety reduction, more optimism, relaxation, increased gratitude, etc. There are bullet journals, free thought journals, journals with certain prompts, the list goes on. The question is, does journaling actually work or is it a non-research-backed TikTok trend that’s actually a total waste of time and paper?

What the Research Has to Say

The current research literature indicates that yes! Journaling can offer a variety of benefits to people who practice this habit. Let’s take a look at a few of these results:

1. Journaling can be effective with reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression (Chan & Horneffer, 2006).
2. For individuals in medical settings, patients that utilized Positive Affect Journaling, a form of journaling based around writing about topics such as the positive aspects one’s life or things one is grateful for, has been found to lower symptoms of anxiety, depression and increase resilience (Smyth et al, 2018).
3. Expressive writing about stressful, emotional or traumatic experiences can lead to improvements in both physical and mental health (Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005).
4. Journaling doesn’t necessarily have to take hours or require a huge time commitment to see positive outcomes; for example, for those who journaled about traumatic experiences, it only required 3-5 instances of journaling for 15-20 minutes each to see improved results!

Why use Journaling Prompts?

There is some nuance to journaling, as well. When journaling is used correctly, such as processing in a healthy way or a chance to reflect on the positive aspects of life, benefits can come. On the other hand, ruminating about or dwelling on negative thoughts can cause the very symptoms you are trying to heal to persist (Ehring, 2021). For this reason, especially when starting off with journaling, journaling prompts can be a helpful tool to ensure that you are staying on track with your goal of journaling and can help guide in staying mindful regarding what you’re writing. For this reason, journaling prompts have been included below to help you out! Specifically, these prompts are aimed at fostering self-compassion, especially due to the evidence that fostering greater self-compassion can lead to positive mental and relational health in a variety of different individuals (Neff & Vonk, 2008).

Self-Compassion Journaling Prompts

1. What does self-compassion mean to me?
2. When am I less compassionate with myself versus when am I more compassionate with myself?
3. Am I treating myself with the same compassion that I show others?
4. Where is the hesitancy to treat myself with compassion?
5. What am I currently struggling with in my life and how can I approach these struggles with self-compassion and gentleness towards myself?
6. Is there anything I have not forgiven myself for? If so, what steps can I take to foster more forgiveness for myself?
7. What is a need I have right now and how can I try to meet that need in a healthy, value-based way?
8. What are 1-3 ways I can care for my health today, whether it be physical, mental, emotional, relational or spiritual?
9. What are some characteristics about myself that I would consider strengths and how can I steward these strengths in a values-based way?
10. What is a situation where I feel that I failed but was able to learn a valuable lesson from/grow from?

We hope that this information marks out a clearer path for you in your journaling journey and that these prompts can inspire you to try out journaling today!