3 Ways Journaling Can Help Your Anxiety

If you find yourself dealing with anxious thoughts and not having a place to let them out or process them, journaling can be an effective way of managing those negative thoughts. When anxiety is stored in our bodies, it can create tension and increase cortisol levels which in turn, can have a negative impact on the way that we cope. One very useful tool in helping managing the anxious thoughts while providing relief is journaling. Below are three great benefits on how journaling can help with anxiety:

• Helps us recognize anxiety causing triggers.

• Writing down your anxious thoughts and processing through them can be very helpful in identifying triggers to the anxiety. These can be subconscious triggers that the person may not recognize until they notice a pattern or a theme through their writing. Identifying anxiety triggers is the first step in helping with managing the anxious thoughts and working through them.

• Regulates emotions- helps with feeling ‘stuck’

• Journaling can be a very good emotional outlet when faced with triggers, especially ones that we may keep bottled up inside of us. Journaling on a regular basis can help with processing each trigger for what it is, leading to less feelings of overwhelm. Journaling on a daily basis can improve your ability to focus and improves problem-solving skills. It gives us a different perspective on a situation that the anxious brain might feel ‘stuck’ on. Journaling offers a nonjudgmental space that allows you to express your emotions freely.

• Helps manage the anxious thoughts

• Journaling can be very helpful with managing ‘spiraling’ thoughts. When caught up in an anxious spiral, it can feel like we don’t have any control over our thoughts. Writing down those anxious thoughts can help you map out the anxiety, which can help with the feeling of taking the control back. Often, just the process of writing down your thoughts can make the worries feel less daunting and offers a more realistic approach.