So, you’ve identified that you have too much stress in your life – that’s good, it’s the first step in the process of resolving it. And to help you with that process, we’ve found some great ways to help you ease the stress. Read through them, choose one that you think you might like – or try them all and see which is the most effective! As you try the different modes of stress relief, it may be worth keeping a diary, so you can note the effectiveness of each method. This week we’ll teach you about therapeutic journaling.
Therapeutic journaling
Therapeutic journaling, also known as expressive writing, is an effective way of relieving stress. And this is not just opinion – it is backed up by science. Studies have shown that writing down how you feel about something is actually more effective than talking about it, and not only that, it has been shown that it can actually improve the function of the immune system – so it’s good for both your mental and physically health.
The research
A study conducted by North Dakota University showed that patients who suffered from asthma and arthritis had a reduction in their symptoms if they wrote about how it made them feel. Another study, conducted by the University of Iowa, showed that students who write about a traumatic event in their lives could recognise the positive aspects, such as a greater appreciation of life and an increase in emotional strength, more easily than those who did not write about their experience. A study of researchers at the University of Chicago showed that students who wrote about the anxiety they felt before an exam consistently performed better than those who didn’t.
Why does it work?
Researchers recognise that there are a number of processes at work when we write about stressful experiences. One of the main mechanisms is the process of organising the information in your mind in order to write it down. It seems that the action of thinking about the event in this way helps you:
• think about it in a more rational way – helping to break the cycle of thinking about the event in a negative way, which can have an impact on your mood and reactions to other events
• learn to regulate your emotions – thinking about what you want to write helps you keep calm and rational about what is happening
• see the problem from a different angle – which can help you find solutions to help ease the cause of stress
• speak to others about the problem and seek help – those who acknowledge the stress privately are more likely to seek outside help with their problem
Journaling – a beginners guide
It’s easy and super cheap! All you need to do is write about what it is that’s making you feel stressed for a set amount of time each day. You can do this in whatever format you like – perhaps you’d like to treat yourself to a lovely new note book and pen that you keep only for this purpose? Or maybe you are more comfortable using your PC to type how you feel? Whatever method you choose, make sure that you keep it confidential. This is vital as you should be noting down all your innermost thoughts and feelings about the situation for it to be effective without the fear of others seeing it without your consent.
Try it for a couple of weeks to see how it goes. If you don’t like it, it doesn’t matter, there are lots of others ways to de-stress and next week we’ll cover another one.
