Keeping a diary can be a great way to reflect on your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Research has shown that journaling can have both positive and negative effects on your physical and mental health. In general, journaling can be beneficial if it leads to greater understanding and behavior change in your interactions with others. Writing expressively in a journal can calm your heart rate, which is better for your health.
However, it can also make you miss out on negative events and reinforce the story at the center of your reactions and emotions. If you are careful and approach your diary with the right perspective, you can reap the benefits of journaling. The key is to use your diary as a mechanism to reflect on your reactions and emotions and make sense of the event. This will help you to step away and look at your negative emotions objectively.
On the other hand, journaling can be too confrontational at times. Writing about negativity can make it descend in a spiral. If you find that you end up repeating the same things over and over again in your diary, keeping a journal is probably not the right habit to help you deal with those feelings or situations. Overall, it is important to be mindful when keeping a diary.
It should be used as an aid to self-discovery and personal growth, rather than as a way to wallow in negative things that have happened to you. With the right approach, journaling can be an incredibly beneficial practice for your mood, stress levels, and physical and mental health.
