Can journaling make anxiety worse?
Manage episode 356223111 series 3416384
Almost every book on self-help and every expert who appears on daytime talk programs recommends journaling in some form or another as a tool for fostering self-discovery and personal development. There is a wealth of information available on the best way to keep a diary, some of it is helpful while the majority of it is not.
The study on the advantages of keeping a journal has produced contradictory findings. Keeping a record of your thoughts, emotions, and experiences might be therapeutic at times, but more often than not, it just makes matters more difficult. It is likely to be harmful if it seeks to assist you in "knowing yourself" in isolation, but it may be beneficial if it leads to a deeper awareness of, and a change in behavior associated with, your relationships with other people.
Keeping a journal has the potential to have a beneficial impact on your behavior and overall well-being if it:
Forces you to take a step back and critically examine your ideas, feelings, and actions.
Explores solutions
Brings your feelings and your motives into harmony with the things that are most important to you.
Changes negative energy into good energy that may be used for development and creativity
Reduces the emotional intensity of your reactions to other people
It helps you perceive other people's viewpoints alongside your own, which makes you feel more empathetic, and it increases your tolerance for ambiguity, ambivalence, and unpredictability, all of which are components of regular existence.
Assists you in deciding on a certain course of action.
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