How Journalling Can Support Your Mental Health — And How to Actually Start
You've probably heard that journalling is good for you. Maybe you've even tried it — started strong for a few days, then gradually stopped.
Or maybe the idea has always felt a little daunting. Too confronting. Too time-consuming. Something other people do, not you.
If any of that sounds familiar, this post is for you. Because journalling is one of the most accessible, evidence-based tools available for mental and emotional health — and it doesn't require talent, time, or a beautifully bound notebook to work.
What Journalling Actually Is
Journalling is simply an inward-looking exercise. A way to allow and explore curiosity about your own thoughts and feelings.
At its core, it's about externalising what's happening inside you — taking the swirling, often overwhelming contents of your inner world and placing them outside your head in black and white.
It doesn't need to be a diary. It doesn't need to be eloquent. It doesn't need to be long. It just needs to be honest.
What Does the Research Say?
The evidence base for journalling is surprisingly strong. Research shows that regular journalling is associated with:
Improved psychological wellbeing and mood
- Fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Reduced stress and fewer stress-related visits to the doctor
- Lower blood pressure
- Improved immune function
- Less work absenteeism
- Higher academic achievement
- (Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005)
Research has also consistently linked the acceptance of feelings — which journalling actively promotes — to better psychological health and positive therapeutic outcomes, including improved mood and reduced anxiety (Ford et al., 2018). Journalling can help create the conditions for acceptance, freeing us to move forward rather than staying stuck (Forsyth & Eifert, 2016).
These aren't small effects. For something that costs nothing and takes as little as five minutes a day, the return is remarkable.
Why Journalling Works
- Emotional catharsis — writing gives difficult emotions somewhere to go. Rather than staying locked inside, they get expressed and released.
- Cognitive processing — creating a coherent narrative of what has happened helps the brain make sense of experiences that might otherwise feel chaotic or overwhelming.
- Reduced emotional inhibition — suppressing negative emotions stresses the body and mind. Facing them through writing supports cognitive integration and deeper understanding.
- Repeated exposure — writing about stressful events repeatedly can gradually reduce their emotional charge, making them feel less threatening over time.
- There's also a direct connection to mindfulness. Journalling keeps you grounded in the present moment — what you're feeling right now, in your body, in your life. This is the foundation of mindful awareness.
Common Reasons People Don't Start — And Why They Don't Hold Up
"I don't have time."
One study found that journalling actually improves time management and efficiency. Five minutes a day is enough to begin.
"It sounds confronting."
Externalising your thoughts and feelings helps you manage them — not amplify them. Most people find that getting feelings out of their head makes them feel lighter, not heavier.
"I do enough overthinking already."
Journalling is a mindful way to think. It gives your thoughts a container and a direction — rather than letting them spin endlessly. It's also a chance to notice what's going well.
"I don't think it will do anything."
The evidence says otherwise. The research base for journalling is substantial and growing.
"I'm no good at commitment."
That's fine. Set yourself an achievable routine — five minutes a day, or even just weekdays. Consistency matters more than frequency or length.
"I'm worried someone will read it."
Ask yourself honestly: is this a real concern, or is it a symptom of resistance? Most people find that once they start, the privacy question fades quickly.
How to Actually Start
1. Choose your medium
Pick something inviting and convenient — a notebook, a notes app on your phone, a document on your laptop. Avoid diaries with printed dates on the page, as missing a day can feel like failure. Any format works.
2. Create a routine
A consistent schedule matters more than a long session. Ideally daily, but once a week still has benefits. Five minutes is good to start with.
3. Find a comfortable space
Choose somewhere quiet, without interruptions.
4. Let go of judgement
This is your private space. Don't worry about grammar, spelling, or how it sounds. There's no right way to journal. Be honest. Be free.
5. Dive deeper than events
Instead of recording what happened today, focus on how things feel. Deeper emotional exploration provides insight into your patterns and triggers. Try labelling your emotions as specifically as you can — research shows that naming feelings actively calms the brain's stress response.
6. Mix it up
If words feel difficult, try a visual journal — adding photos, drawings or images that resonate with you. You could even dictate your thoughts into your phone while sitting in your car. Whatever works for you is the right approach.
Journalling Prompts to Get You Started
Here are some prompts to try:
The gold standard is - Right now, I am feeling...
or try....
- How does my body feel right now?
- Ten things that bring me joy, big or small.
- When do I feel most connected to myself?
- What do I believe to be true about myself? Is it hurting or helping me?
- Right now, what am I afraid of?
- What is going well right now?
- What do I like about me? What have I done that I'm proud of?
- Am I holding onto something that is hurting me more than helping?
- Do I believe I am worthy of love? If not, where did I learn that from?
A Final Thought
Journalling won't fix everything. But it will give you a relationship with yourself — a place to be honest, to be messy, to be real — that nothing else quite replicates.
In therapy, we often talk about the importance of being witnessed. Journalling is a way of witnessing yourself. And that, in its own quiet way, is profoundly healing.
I am a counsellor and psychotherapist in Fitzroy, Melbourne, specialising in Emotion-Focused Therapy. He works with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma and more. Sessions available in-person and via telehealth across Australia.
If this post resonated with you, I'd love to hear from you.
Baikie, K. A., & Wilhelm, K. (2005). Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 11(5), 338–346.
Ford, B. Q., Lam, P., John, O. P., & Mauss, I. B. (2018). The psychological health benefits of accepting negative emotions and thoughts. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 115(6), 1075–1092.
Forsyth, J. P., & Eifert, G. H. (2016). The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety. New Harbinger Publications.