How to start journalling
Chances are good that, at some point in your life, you've journalled. Maybe you called it a diary, or maybe you used it to record your food choices of the day, and maybe you chronicled your life only in fits and starts. But did you ever think that keeping a journal might actual improve your health?
Experts contend that keeping a journal might do exactly that. In a 1988 study, Dr. James W. Pennebaker, departmental chair in the psychology department at the University of Texas, discovered that people who wrote about traumatic incidents over a test period reported being healthier and feeling more positive than their counterparts who wrote about everyday experiences. Similar subsequent studies have supported the idea that targeted journalling can affect both physical and mental well-being.
For author Bill Zimmerman, journalling offers a way to deal with problems and crisis in his life. "Seeing words on paper validates my feelings, gives me some insight and, most of all, gives me comfort. Bottling things up is very dangerous and can affect your health."
Dr. Sheppard Kominars has journalled since 1955 and has used the process to successfully navigate through many health threats, including cancer.
Kominars maintains that journalling can make any life-altering event -- whether it's a career change, divorce, illness or the death of a loved one -- more manageable, but that regular journalling can help you on an everyday level as well.
"The important thing about journalling is that you write about your feelings," says Kominars.
Guidelines for journalling
There's only one absolute rule for journalling: There are no rules around journalling.
Where, when and how you journal will be highly individual, but experts do offer up many suggestions for optimizing your journalling experience.
1. When and how often should I journal?
Start out with a commitment to journal daily for a prescribed time. Experiment with times. Are you fresher in the morning, or do you prefer to sit down to your journal at the end of the day? Do you need a half hour to record it all, or five minutes to jot things down? Over time you'll discover what works best for you.
2. What kind of tools should I use to journal?
Should you write in a fancy journal with a special pen, or crank out your journal on your computer? Ultimately, whatever frees the flow of your thoughts and ideas is the right medium for you, but Dr. Kominars suggests you start with a plain paper and a pen. "Sometimes the stuff you want to write seems too unpleasant to put in a pretty journal."
3. Where should I journal?
"One of my clients started journalling at her kitchen table," says Kominars. "But it wasn't going very well. Then she realized it was the place where she paid her bills."
Location, location, location. While it isn't everything in journalling, it does matter. Here are some locations that might work for you:
-In bed
-Outside on your deck or at a nearby park
-In a coffee shop
-At the library
-In your office
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