Using Journaling to Reduce Stress

By Brandi Swieter

Stress impacts most people’s lives regularly, interfering with not only mental health but physical health as well. People need to find ways to cope, and journaling can be one of them. Daily journaling allows people to jot down their thoughts and feelings and better handle the stressful situations that are consuming their thoughts.

Getting Me Time

“Me” time is highly important to every person. Everyone needs time to themselves to refocus and get their minds straight. Journaling gives people that time, even if it’s just a few minutes writing out some positive thoughts for the day. It can greatly help eliminate stressful feelings if people are getting time away from stressors to do something that focuses their thoughts.

Replacing Negative Thoughts With Positive Ones

Many people opt for writing down their negative thoughts in their journals. While this is fine to start with, these types of comments should really be avoided. Positivity is the way to turn the day around. Rather than writing about all the bad things that happened that day, write about a few positive things that occurred instead. Focusing on these aspects helps people realize things may not be so bad after all, which can reduce feelings of stress.

Finding Ways to Prioritize

A plethora of tasks on a person’s plate is just one common reason for feeling stressed and unable to handle life at the moment. Rather than focusing on all of the many tasks at hand, people can use their journal to help them decipher the priorities. Write down tasks for each day and take a look to see which items are not that urgent. Those can be saved for later in the day or even at another time. It’s best to focus on just one task at a time to keep stress at bay.

Keeping a Journal Everywhere

One of the worst things is wanting to write something down and not being able to do so. This can make people feel more stressed about their situation. It’s important to keep a journal everywhere possible, including by the bedside, in the car, at the workplace, and other places a person frequents. Women may be able to keep a journal in their purse so there’s always one around, but men may find that a bit more difficult. A small notebook will do if a larger journal cannot be placed somewhere inconspicuously. Be sure a pencil or pen is handy as well. Another option might be journaling on your phone/tablet.

Stress won’t ever go away entirely, but it can be reduced drastically with a little help. Those who journal daily, or at least most days, are far better off in terms of handling stress. Those who still feel tension and pain in their bodies due to all the stress in their lives can visit a chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic to receive further assistance. Sometimes it takes more than one thing to eliminate its effects.

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Indianapolis, Ind.

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