You Only Need To Journal For 15 Minutes a Day To Make a Difference In Your Mental Health
Time to pick up a pen and paper, and start writing.
by Rachel Linder
Investing in your mental health is extremely important and if you’re here, you probably know that, but recognizing it and actually implementing routines that will make a change are two different things. Altering your schedule to add in things like journaling can be tough and somehow there never seems like there’s enough time in the day. Trust us, we’ve been there.
The good thing about the journaling process, though, when it comes to the mental health benefits is it’s much less about the time you spend and more about writing what you can when you have something to say. This means that you can start by simply spending the time you have—as little as 15 minutes a day three to four days a week to start seeing the positive effects. It’s as simple as that.
According to Dr. James W. Pennebaker, a social psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin and author of Writing to Heal, journal writing “sessions” that are as little as 15 to 30 minutes in length can be beneficial. Dr. Pennebaker’s research indicates that writing can not only help to “label emotions and acknowledge traumatic events”, but also help individuals to begin to understand and cope with these emotions and traumas—that’s what we’d call progress.
There is also a significant connection between journaling and mindfulness, and then ultimately mindfulness and happiness. The act of writing down your thoughts allows you to focus on the present, rather than get caught up in the anxieties of the future or the challenges of the past.
When it comes to the positive impacts journaling can have on mental health, the list is nearly endless. Considering the fact that you can start to see these improvements in your daily life after spending just 15 minutes a day writing—there’s no reason not to give it a shot. It is important to note, though, that journaling will not have the same positive effects for everyone, so if you find it’s not working for you, don’t force it. There are always other things to practice that could be more beneficial to your own personal progress.