Flow 05 - Emotional Processing Through Journaling

Wellness culture has been thrown right in our faces more and more as social media has become a part of our everyday lives, but what really is wellness? The media has taken the desire for self-improvement and turned it into a trend, and with that comes a vast amount of misinformation, false advertising, and generally useless products. Wellness is not just one thing; it can’t be sold, taken as a class, or found instantaneously. If you’ve ever been interested in figuring out how to connect with and understand your own healing and wellness journey, Flow may be of assistance. Flow is my collection on holistic healing and how it works into my everyday life. In this collection, I will be looking into the psychology of wellness culture, where different practices and habits come from, my own personal outlook and opinions on how things have impacted my life, and other topics related to what wellbeing shows up as in today's world.

It’s no secret that writing something down can help you process it; this can be said for countless things—studying, reminders, grocery lists; the list goes on. Writing and mental wellbeing, though, is a well-known concept, although it's often overlooked. It feels obvious, and one thing I’ve learned throughout my wellness journey is that a lot of wellness concepts do appear obvious. So obvious that they may not be taken seriously, I’m not sure if these things feel obvious because they’re just familiar or if it’s just a matter of common sense. Just because something is familiar doesn’t diminish its credibility or efficacy, and writing is something I will definitely defend in this case. Journaling is the type of writing this piece will focus on, as it's something that's helped me with consistency throughout my wellness journey.

Journaling has been a non-pharmacological tool used in the world of wellness for quite some time, and there are two major types that are commonly seen. Gratitude journaling and Expressive Writing. Gratitude journaling is as it sounds; it focuses on expressing the positive aspects of one's life, and expressive journaling focuses on one's internal thoughts and feelings. Even when one is not performing this habit daily, the benefits of journaling can still be experienced. Journaling often allows one to reach a new range of emotions and connection towards their own experiences; it creates a neutral space to feel things entirely. Gratitude journaling can also help broaden emotions; when one focuses on the positive aspects of their life, they can carry this acknowledged positivity with them. positivity with them. Studies suggest that accepting our feelings is linked to better psychological health and a more positive experience therapeutically. Journaling promotes acceptance; it bridges the gap between the feelings themselves and an expression or physical recollection of them. There are so many different benefits to journaling, but some of the most common ones are: better moods, improved lung function, improved liver function, fewer depressive and avoidant symptoms, reduced anxiety, encouraging awareness, and regulating emotions. No matter what your main focus for journaling is, there are plenty of struggles that can benefit from journaling, such as anxiety, depression, and stress. Journaling for anxiety has been seen as highly effective, and this is most likely due to the acceptance of both positive and negative feelings. For anxiety specifically, it may be more beneficial for women rather than men (both still may have positive effects, though), and doing so for 30 or more days can maximize well-being benefits. Journaling for depression, both gratitude and expressive, can reduce symptoms. Similarly to anxiety, when practiced for 30 or more days, there is a higher chance of maximizing benefits. Journaling for stress can support coping and even reduce the effect of stressful events. Processing emotions through written form can promote the likelihood of reaching out for support. Journaling is something that will affect you differently depending on how you treat it, but it's worth it to see if you notice a difference in your emotional processing. It can be as simple as five minutes a day of writing whatever's on your mind or even a simple gratitude list. Prompted journals exist too, so even if you don’t think you can work with a blank page, journaling may still be accessible to you. Finding something that works into your life is the most important for consistency, so make it work for you, make it enjoyable.

Writing is and always has been an outlet for me, and I will always be grateful for that. I’ve never thought that a piece has to be perfect; if I did, I wouldn’t even pick up the pen or get my laptop. Of course, there are situations where I try to be specific with my intentions and process, but I don’t hold myself to any standard when it comes to journaling. When I first decided to journal, it was mostly because I like the concept of organized writing, but I very quickly found it tedious. It took a fair amount of partially filled notebooks to realize that there were reasons I struggled with consistency here. It didn’t feel natural, and it didn’t feel routine, and for me those things go hand-in-hand. For some, the idea of a strict routine is overwhelming and unwelcoming, but I’ve always worked better with structure. Consistency is a main motivator for me, so when I discovered prompted/daily journals, my luck with this changed. I’m not going to sit here and say I’m absolutely perfect with my journaling routine, and sometimes I wish I was, but I’m not perfect, so why should this be? My word flow doesn’t have to be perfect; I don’t need a word count, and I don’t need perfect grammar there. The idea of it being a habit keeps me consistent, but it's the only standard I hold myself to with my journaling. I can always come back to it; it will always be there, and I like to be regular with it because I see the benefits when I am. It may sound contradictory, and honestly I’m okay with that because I’m okay with the imperfection of journaling. It’s my practice, and being consistent with it helps me experience the benefits, and I also know when it's okay to take a step back and make sure this wellness habit doesn’t become something else to stress about. Make journaling something you’re comfortable with; make it work for you.

Sutton, J., PhD. (2025, October 21). 5 Benefits of journaling for mental health. PositivePsychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/benefits-of-journaling/