How to use a journal for emotional healing

We’ve all been there. We’ve all hurt. Emotional pain is a common human experience, from breakups or the loss of a loved one, to another traumatic event – and a handy tool can be to journal for emotional healing.

Journaling has been found to be a useful tool for coping with emotional pain and promoting healing.

It’s one of the key foundations underpinning Story of My Life Journal.

so we’re going to explore the ways in which journaling can aid in emotional healing, backed by scientific evidence, and provide some tips and prompts to get started.

What do we mean when we say Emotional Healing?

Emotional healing refers to the process of dealing with emotional pain and working through it to find relief and recovery.

It is a journey that involves accepting, processing, and releasing negative emotions.

Because of the importance of ‘acceptance’, the psychotherapeutic approach of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can be particularly relevant to emotional healing.

ACT is a type of cognitive-behavioural therapy that emphasises acceptance of one’s emotions and thoughts, rather than trying to suppress or avoid them.

ACT aims to help individuals develop psychological flexibility and move toward their values and goals, rather than getting stuck in negative patterns or beliefs.

In terms of emotional healing, ACT can be particularly useful because it teaches individuals to become more aware of their emotions and to develop a greater tolerance for discomfort and distress.

This can enable individuals to better manage difficult emotions and to engage in meaningful activities, even in the face of emotional pain or trauma.

It is important to note that emotional healing is a unique and personal journey that takes time and patience.

How Journaling Can Help Emotional Healing

Journaling can help in several ways during the emotional healing process.

First, writing about emotions can help you identify and process them.

By putting your thoughts and feelings down on paper, you create space for self-reflection and self-awareness.

This technique actually has a name in psychotherapy, which is “Affective Labelling”.

Affective labelling is a technique used in psychotherapy to help individuals identify and label their emotions.

By identifying and labelling emotions, individuals can better understand their feelings and work towards processing them in a healthy way.

Affective labelling has been shown to be effective in reducing anxiety and improving emotional regulation, both of which can contribute to emotional healing.

Through this process, individuals can develop greater emotional awareness and learn how to navigate their emotions in a way that supports healing and growth.

And this is backed by research, which has shown that journaling can help in reducing emotional distress, increasing positive affect, and promoting emotional regulation (1).

Furthermore, journaling can help in improving physical health outcomes, such as reducing stress hormones like cortisol (2).

Tips on How to Journal for Emotional Healing:

1. Create a safe and comfortable space for yourself where you can write without any distractions.
2. Start by writing about what you are feeling and what may have triggered those emotions.
3. Be honest and authentic in your writing. Don’t worry about grammar or punctuation.
4. Write for as long (or as short) as you need to. There is no set time limit for journaling.
5. Use your journal as a tool for self-reflection and self-compassion. Be kind to yourself as you work through your emotions.

Journal Prompts for Emotional Healing

1. What emotions am I feeling right now, and what triggered them?
2. What are some self-care activities that I can do to support my emotional healing?
3. What have been some positive changes in my emotional state since I started journaling?
4. What are some coping mechanisms that have worked well for me in the past?
5. How can I practice self-compassion as I work through my emotions?

Journaling can be a valuable tool for emotional healing, offering benefits such as increased self-awareness, emotional regulation, and stress reduction.

By providing a safe and comfortable space to explore our emotions, we can begin to process and work through them in a healthy and productive way.

With consistent practice, journaling can contribute to emotional healing and promote overall wellbeing.

Happy journaling, crew.

References

1. Baikie, K. A., & Wilhelm, K. (2005). Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 11(5), 338–346. https://doi.org/10.1192/apt.11.5.338
2. Frisina, P. G., Borod, J. C., & Lepore, S. J. (2004). A meta-analysis of the effects of written emotional disclosure on the health outcomes of clinical populations. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 192(9), 629–634. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nmd.0000138312.30764.63
3. Gortner, E.-M., Rude, S. S., & Pennebaker, J. W. (2006). Benefits of expressive writing in lowering rumination and depressive symptoms. Behavior Therapy, 37(3), 292–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2006.01.004
4. Keng, S.-L., Smoski, M. J., & Robins, C. J. (2011). Effects of mindfulness on psychological health: A review of empirical studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 31(6), 1041–1056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.04.006
5. Páez, D., Basabe, N., Ubillos, S., & González, J. L. (2007). The role of identity in the link between stressors and psychological symptoms. European Journal of Personality, 21(2), 205–220. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.623
6. Sloan, D. M., & Marx, B. P. (2004). Taking pen to hand: Evaluating theories underlying the written disclosure paradigm. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 11(2), 121–137. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.bph056
7. Ullrich, P. M., & Lutgendorf, S. K. (2002). Journaling about stressful events: Effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 24(3), 244–250. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2403_10