By now, you’ve heard of journaling as an effective treatment for anxiety disorders, but if you don’t understand what this technique means, you might just sit there with a pen hovering over your paper and no words to write.

In this world of Pinterest and YouTube step-by-step instructions, it’s common to want a structure to your journaling entries. But when you do that, you often put walls around your emotions and thoughts, limiting what you release. Instead, give yourself permission to write in a free-flow manner, and you’ll see how quickly this method helps reduce your stress and anxiety.

Here, we’ll share the secrets behind journaling and anxiety and how you, too, can use it to get your anxious thoughts under control.

Understanding Journaling

First, let’s clarify that you don’t need any special equipment when you engage in journal writing. You can write on a sheet of paper, a napkin, a computer, or any other material that lets you get your thoughts out of your head and in print. (Note: Experts recommend using paper/pencil for the best results. This movement activates more brain function, slows cognitive processing, and leaves you open to deeper thinking.)

Taking 5-10 minutes to write what you’re thinking about helps you stop racing thoughts. You can only write a single thought at a time, so by journaling, you focus on one thing. When you dig deeply into that thought, you get more clarity on whether your anxiety is a legitimate concern or based solely on emotions like fear or grief. If it’s fear-based, writing it down and naming it so can help you battle it, and if it’s legitimate, you can use your journaling time to find a solution.

The Physical Secrets Behind Journaling

Still, conquering your anxious thoughts isn’t always possible in one journaling session. However, those 10 minutes or so play a significant role in your physical health, which then segues into your mental wellness.

Taking this quiet time out of your day to focus on yourself can lower your blood pressure and get rid of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Journaling regularly boosts overall wellness, helps your immune system function better, and can improve lung and liver function, too.

When you’re out of the usual fight-or-flight mode that you’re used to being in, you can recognize triggers and control them when they happen, and your overall mood is improved.

By understanding your triggers and anxious thoughts, you can challenge them, giving them less power.

Make Journaling Your Regular Habit

When you journal regularly, it may become so soothing and beneficial that you look forward to that daily peaceful routine. To make it easier to engage in your relieving writing, give yourself the same time and spot each day, and keep a pen and paper there. Or, hold materials for journaling in your wallet or purse for those times when you need to calm your anxious thoughts.

Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to journal. Let this technique, used by millions of others, help you get your anxiety under control, too.

Disclosure: collaborative post

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