Dear Diary

How journalling can boost your health – mentally and physically…

By Karen Kwan

On Instagram, it seems every wellness influencer has The Five-Minute Journal. Taylor Swift has been journalling since she was 13. Lizzo and Lady Gaga have both spoken about how journalling has helped them: Lizzo with self-acceptance and Lady Gaga with helping her process emotions. Matthew McConaughey has referred to writing in one, too. So journalling is undoubtedly popular – but are there health benefits to journalling, and should you add it to your own health routine?

The answer is yes. Research has shown that journalling can be great for your health, both physically and mentally. Does it matter whether you use pen and paper versus typing on your laptop? Of course, do what works best for you, but studies have shown that physically writing in a journal instead on tapping on a keyboard is good for you, given that handwriting your entries allows you to better process your thoughts, keeping your brain more active than it is when you type.

Here are seven different ways journalling can be good for your health:

1. Helps you heal faster physically

Often we think of journalling as a way to provide a mental health boost, which it does – but several studies have shown that it also contributes to physical health benefits. A study conducted in New Zealand found that people who wrote about their feelings about an upsetting event healed faster after a biopsy compared to those who wrote about their day-to-day activities. Also, one research review found that journalling may be linked to lower blood pressure and fewer doctor visits for stress.

2. Helps you get out of a negative space

It can be easy to spiral down into negative thinking when you’re stressed and worried. When you write down your thoughts in a journal, it has been shown to help you create some space from those thoughts and look at the situation in a more objective way. 

3. Boosts your immune system

Writing your thoughts in a journal has been found to help by strengthening your immune system, lowering your chance of falling ill. Studies have shown that it can also help wounds heal faster and could help you better fight diseases including cancer and asthma.

4. Helps alleviate anxiety

By writing down your thoughts and feelings, journalling can help you learn what triggers your anxiety and can contribute to helping you prevent feelings of anxiety. Journalling with a focus on writing about what you’re grateful for has been shown to be beneficial for lifting your mood and reducing feelings of distress. It can also help prepare you to better handle stressful situations.

5. Provides a confidence boost

When you write down situations you’ve found challenging and how you worked through them, you can look back at these entries and realize what you’ve been able to accomplish. Similarly, when you write regularly in a journal, you have a log of your progress and how much growth you’ve made. 

6. Boosts your creativity

By jotting down your thoughts, journalling can help clear your mind and get your creative juices flowing. Think of it as a way to declutter your mind, enabling you to brainstorm and have space for new ideas. Also, when you journal in private on your own, it’s a safe space where there are no external pressures.

7. Improves your memory

Research has shown that writing something down is like giving your brain notice that this is something that you want to remember. By practising journalling, you’re strengthening your brain’s ability to hold on to memories.

KAREN KWAN is a freelance health, travel and lifestyle writer based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter @healthswellness and on Instagram @healthandswellness.