Writing Your Way Through Disaster

A Journal is a special notebook that serves as a personal daily record of news and events. 1 in 8 people do this daily. That's one billion people worldwide! Journaling is not just an activity of the teen and tween generations. It can be very helpful to your mental health. Journaling allows us to acquire use of the left hemisphere of our brain, this then gives your right hemisphere a chance to roam free and allow your creativity and knowledge to flourish. It can also improve our memory and quality of life in the following ways.

Helps with PTSD and other Trauma

During an apocalyptic event, everyone on the planet will experience some form of trauma. Taking a life, either human or not, is something 99 percent of the population is not mentally capable of doing. There is a big difference in talking about it, and actually doing it. We can talk all day and night, but when the chips are down many of us just can’t do it. Journaling helps us process difficult life events, like killing another person or losing a loved one. They help us by giving a narrative to our personal experiences. Writing every day makes us more self-aware and in touch with reality.

Decreases Depression

Journaling gives us a personal space free from distractions to write down our true feelings. They give us some time to reflect and balance our emotional state. Since most journals are kept private we can be our true selves with them and not worry about being judged. They help us work through our difficult emotions by allowing us to open up and discuss the matter in a quiet setting. They can also increase your optimism by showcasing your successes it increases your serotonin, leading to decreases in suicidal thoughts.

Helps Us Deal with Anxiety

Writing down our thoughts helps us get a better understanding of how our brains work. In return, we get a better understanding of our mental state. They help clear out the negative thoughts we store in our brains that keep us from doing common tasks. They give us a place to release pent-up stress and feelings we can’t share with our peers. Journaling gives you a place to walk through your daily struggles so you can weigh the pros and cons in a calm state. They allow yes to get those heavy burdens off our chest without putting it on another person's shoulders.

Useful stress management tool

A journal allows you to fully integrate events into your brain. They keep you from bottling up your emotions which can affect you negatively in the long term of things. Bottling up your emotions can result in higher levels of depression and anxiety which can turn into stress. Journals allow you to vent your problems in a positive way which improves your cognitive functions. It helps you mentally let go of harmful events and be more at peace with your bleak situation. Journaling lets you see any patterns in your daily life that might cause you stress that you have probably never seen before.

Very beneficial to your overall health

Journaling does more than benefit your mental health, it also has an impact on your physical health as well. Journaling has been scientifically proven to decrease symptoms of various health conditions like heart disease and improve liver function. It has also been proven to strengthen your immune system. In the long term, they help maintain good habits and behaviors. People who Journal tend to be more organized and stick to a schedule better. It keeps your brain sharp by improving your cognitive functioning.