Journaling can be an incredibly helpful means for processing emotions and thoughts, taking stock of what is important, and even to document your life. More specifically, when people journal about the cognitive and emotional components of stressors in their life, they develop greater awareness of the positive impact that the stressor has for them personally (Ulrich & Lutgendorf, 2002). Prior to the journaling experience (really the cognitive and emotional processing), it can be incredibly difficult to understand our life stressors. We get so entrenched within them that we often can’t see the bigger picture. 

Benefits of Journaling
Research has shown that positive journaling significantly improves mental health over negative journaling practices. Positive journaling can take many forms, but expressive journaling (enscripted emotional disclosure), gratitude journaling (identifying things you are grateful for and why), day-to-day journaling (recording mundane life events), and devotionals (commonly found in spiritual/religious people to devote time with god) have been identified as particularly helpful. Negative journaling practices involve ruminating over the negative emotions in one’s life and focusing solely on where those negative emotions originate (Stanley, 2019). 

Today’s Task
So, today I encourage you to spend time (at least 5-10 minutes) reflecting on how stress manifests in your life. Feel free to write about anything that comes to mind, focusing on the greater context of the stress in your life. However, if you don’t know where to start, try to identify the following components of stress in your life:

• Mental: When you are stressed, what thoughts tend to emerge? Maybe you notice yourself being hypercritical of yourself and others. Or maybe you tend to fall into common cognitive distortions more easily. You could even begin to think about your own strengths. Regardless of what thoughts you have, simply observe them and use them to  process your stress in this journal entry.
• Emotional: What other emotions tend to emerge when you are feeling stressed? It is possible that when you are stressed, your temper gets shorter. Maybe you cry more easily. Alternatively, maybe you go numb to your emotions. Again, without judging yourself for these emotions (they are trying to help us!), simply notice and record them here.
• Physical: What happens within your body when you are feeling stressed? Stress has all sorts of physical manifestations - maybe you get headaches, muscle tension, decreased/increased appetite, grind or clench your teeth, or even experience stomachaches. Write these down within the greater context of your stress response.
• Behavioral: What do you tend to do when you are feeling stressed? A lot of people, when stressed, tend to procrastinate or increase their use of alcohol or other drugs. Some might crack their knuckles, pace the floor, or bite their nails. Others still turn to positive coping mechanisms like going for a walk, journaling, or talking to friends. Notice what your typical response is to stress and write it down!

Feel free to follow wherever your mind goes. Journaling can be a tool to help us further and deepen our understanding of the importance of particular events and things in our lives. So, go wherever your mind takes you! If you notice rumination and hyperfocus on negative emotions, maybe wrap up your practice by trying to be intentional about the meaning of these emotions or things for which you are grateful.

The goal of this journal prompt is for you to increase your awareness of the way that stress emerges in your life so that you can notice it as it is happening (rather than when it is too late) and hopefully implement strategies to reduce your stress before it gets unmanageable.

Written for Fitness Blender by Haley S, PhD
Licensed Psychologist

References

Stanley, A. H. (2019). Various Journaling Behaviors Related to Self-Reported Mental Health Rating. Initial Forays into Psychological Science, 15,  9-13.

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.