Mindfulness is an act of being aware. If you can be aware of your environment and things in your life, then having a mindfulness journal will do good for your mental health. Mindfulness also allows you to evaluate your present moment.
There are different techniques to practice mindfulness, and journaling is at the top of the list. Journaling is a recommended way to manage your mental health.
Mindfulness journaling helps you process and identify actions around your emotions. It helps you understand your feelings better.
Why Keep a Mindfulness Journal?
Research has shown that journaling is an effective way to reduce stress[1] and is associated with improved well-being for people with anxiety and depression.[2] It is affordable, and all it requires is a writing prompt and a journal.
You can decide to have a digital or physical journal. The “notes” app on your phone is an excellent place to start. However, I still recommend having a physical journal as it is therapeutic and gives you time away from technology.
15 Benefits of Keeping a Mindfulness Journal
Here are the benefits of keeping a mindfulness journal and some sample prompts to help get you started.
1. You Become More Self-Aware
Mindful journaling helps you become self-aware. You understand yourself better as an individual.
We often judge our personality based on the people around us or our space. Mindful journaling makes you conscious of your environment, body, health, and lifestyle.
One example of a prompt for self-awareness is this: What makes me feel calm?
When you answer this question in your journal, whenever you feel anxious or nervous, it becomes easier to handle. Thanks to keeping a mindfulness journal, you know what makes you calm, and this can be applied to other life situations to promote self-awareness.
2. It Helps You Be in the Present
Have you always wanted to be in the present moment? Being present means being mindful and aware of what’s happening in a particular moment.
Through mindful journaling, you won’t have to worry about past events. There is no fear of what will happen in the future because your focus is on your present day, and this thought can help you better deal with depression, anxiety, or any unwanted feelings.
If you can be in the present and write about your emotions, you are one step closer to tackling that problem.
3. It Helps You Stay Focused
Mindful journaling allows you to stay focused. When you list your goals in life and give a timeline to them, they become easier to achieve.
You can also add affirmations to these goals while recording your gratitude for every step you take towards achieving these goals.
4. You Become More Positive
If you always speak negatively to yourself or situations around you, a mindfulness journal can help you stay positive.
Negative thoughts lead to low self-worth. If you constantly use negative words about yourself, you release anxiety-induced hormones in the body.[3] The easiest way to let go of negative thoughts is by writing them in your journal.
You have to remind yourself that these thoughts do not control you. Strike out the negative thoughts, list positive words and thoughts, and stay focused on the positive.
5. You Become More Grateful
How often do you practice gratitude? What are the things you are most thankful for in life?
A prompt for gratitude could be: What good thing happened to me this morning?
Keeping a mindfulness journal makes you aware of these things. Show gratitude by writing two or three things you’re thankful for every morning or night. During the day, reflect on the activities or events you are most grateful for.
6. It Helps You Know Yourself
Mindfulness journaling will help you discover thought and behavior patterns in your life. As you read through your journal, you will notice the choices you’ve made and the results from these patterns.
If there is something you need to change, then it’s time for self-reflection.
7. You Become More Intentional
Mindful journaling makes you more intentional about your life. It allows space for personal growth and self-direction.
8. It Helps You Express Freely
You get to express yourself freely in your journal. It’s where you practice honesty and learn new habits or break out from old ones.
You can make a list of realistic expectations. When you write them down, with every achievement, tick it on the journal. It makes things easier because there is no external pressure.
Your goals become more achievable when listed in a mindfulness journal and makes you kinder to yourself.
9. It Declutters Your Mind
When you declutter your space, you feel better. Mindfulness journaling is a form of mental decluttering. It positively impacts your mental health and allows you to free up your mind.
With a clear mind, you see a new perspective on life. It will allow you to visualize a different life and offer the clarity you need on specific issues.
10. It Boosts Your Mental Health
Mindful journaling has health benefits. It can help reduce your cortisol level, which is responsible for stress in the body.[4]
While writing in your journal, you release endorphins, reduce anxiety, and positively boost your mental health.[5]
11. It Enhances Your Emotional Health
Mindfulness journaling enhances your emotional health and allows you to become a more peaceful person. Journaling is an innovative tool for improving your emotional intelligence (EQ). The more you write, the easier it is to navigate your emotions.[6]
It also works like magic on the brain. It allows you to cope with negative emotions and make better emotional decisions.
12. It’s a Good Mood Booster
Mindful journaling is the perfect mood booster. It helps you handle your fears and concerns while recognizing what triggers you.
Imagine being able to recognize what ticks your mood off? It becomes easier to manage, leaving you in a better mood.
13. It Helps You Be in Control
Mindful journaling helps you be in control. It makes you feel and become more powerful.
Having clarity on issues in your life is the first step to being in control. The best way to gain control of ourselves is by increasing our self-awareness through writing our thoughts while being mindful.
14. It Helps You Overcome Mental Problems
Therapists recommend mindful journaling because it helps you overcome mental health difficulties. If you’re suffering the effects of traumas and need a place to relieve your emotions without being vulnerable to anyone, your journal is your best bet. It also helps recover from addiction and other mental health issues like obsessive thinking.[7]
It also helps recover from addiction and other mental health issues like obsessive thinking.[8]
15. It Improves Your Memory
Mindfulness journaling helps you put scenes in place. If you have recently had a happy memory and worry it will fade, write about it in your journal. This way, you will be able to re-read it and feel better.
Sample Prompts for Your Mindfulness Journal
If you are ready to begin your journey with mindfulness journaling, here are some prompts.
Remember to allow yourself to be vulnerable. Open your mind, and hold nothing back. Effective journaling is an excellent way to manage stress and be more mindful of life.[9]
- What was the highlight of my day or week?
- What do I procrastinate about?
- What urges have I given in to today?
- What made me feel more productive today?
- What is responsible for my anxiety this minute?
Final Thoughts
Your journaling time should also be a quiet time. It’s okay to have a space where you practice mindful journaling. Also, encourage children and teenagers to practice mindful journaling as this can help make them become more emotionally intelligent.
It is best to practice mindfulness journaling first thing in the morning or night. It allows you more time to reflect on your life. Write every day. It could be in the morning or at night, but make sure you never skip a day of journaling.
Featured photo credit: Ketut Subiyanto via pexels.com
Reference
| [1] | ^ | PubMed.gov: Better Together: Long-term Behaviors and Perspectives after a Practitioner-Family Writing Intervention in Clinical Practice |
| [2] | ^ | PubMed Central: Online Positive Affect Journaling in the Improvement of Mental Distress and Well-Being in General Medical Patients With Elevated Anxiety Symptoms: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial |
| [3] | ^ | American Psychological Association: Stress effects on the body |
| [4] | ^ | PsychCentral: The Benefits of Journaling for Stress Relief |
| [5] | ^ | University of Rochester Medical Center: Journaling for Mental Health |
| [6] | ^ | Harvard Business Review: 3 Ways to Better Understand Your Emotions |
| [7] | ^ | PositivePsychology: 83 Benefits of Journaling for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress |
| [8] | ^ | PositivePsychology: 83 Benefits of Journaling for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress |
| [9] | ^ | verywellmind: The Benefits of Journaling for Stress Management |
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