Diaries played a big part in a lot of our teenage years. From writing about your latest crush to frustration about mean girls at school, a diary provided a great way to get those thoughts out of your head. As an adult, we refer to the writing of daily musings or ideas as journaling. It may seem like physical writing is a thing of the past, but there’s definitely something to be said for putting pen to paper and pouring your heart out on the page.
Journaling for Mental Health
While journaling isn't a stand-alone solution to mental health disorders, it’s a useful tool to assist with stress and anxiety. Everyone can benefit from sorting through their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors as poor mental health can lead to addiction and other health issues. Journaling helps by allowing you to:
- Identify negative behaviors and thoughts
- Talk to yourself about any concerns, fears, or situations that are nagging at you
- See the triggers you have for your depression, anxiety, or stress
- Remember events and how they make you feel
- Incorporate positive self-talk
- “Talk” to someone who has passed away or that you don't feel you can confront
- Slow down and drown out all the voices around you
- Deal with conflict
Ten Famous People Who Journal
Although journaling isn't for everyone, for centuries famous and ordinary people have done it. Some wrote to keep accurate records of work, art, songwriting, poetry, and more. Others journal to document history. Regardless of the reason they put pen to paper, learning from others' experiences is always a good idea. Famous people that journaled include:
- Mark Twain. The famed author completed and published over 20 novels during his lifetime. He also was an avid journaler and filled more than 50 notebooks with thoughts, ideas, and jokes.
- Marie Curie. The Polish-French physicist, chemist and Nobel Prize winner wrote about her research on radioactivity. She’s also remembered for her contributions to cancer treatments and technology that’s similar to the powerful X-ray machines of today. Wise words from Marie include “Have no fear of perfection: You'll never reach it.”
- Ernest Hemingway. The iconic writer, famous for his books For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea could often be seen scribbling in pocket notebooks. “In order to write about life, first you must live it,” he famously said.
- Susan Sontag. The writer and filmmaker was also a journaler. Her best-selling novel, The Volcano Lover, was published in 1992. “The journal is a vehicle for my sense of selfhood,” she said of her habit.
- C.S. Lewis wrote over 30 books in his lifetime, many of which were made into plays, TV, radio, and movie productions. One of his most encouraging quotes is “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”
- Jessamyn West is best known for her novel, The Friendly Persuasion. When questioned about why she liked to journal, she replied, “People who keep journals have life twice.”
- Virginia Woolf enjoyed success as a novelist and essayist. Her talent was considered to be one of the most innovative of the 20th century. Speaking of her diary she said, “I got out this diary and read, as one always does read one’s own writing, with a kind of guilty intensity.”
- Jennifer Aniston, most famous for her role on Friends, is also an avid journaler. Since she was 13 years old, her journals have allowed her to keep her cool in relationships, work, and family situations. She says her journals are her therapy sessions.
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a celebrated actor, also uses journaling as a way to see things more clearly. Although it doesn't sound like he is an everyday journaler, Gordon-Levitt says, “...it’s something I turn to, especially when I’m trying to work through something that’s vexing me.”
- Jenna Dewan, known for her work in the Step Up films, practices gratitude journaling. “I started a gratitude journal where I write every morning and every night things I am grateful for, “ she said. Dewan says she only writes five minutes twice a day, but it makes a difference in her life.
Journaling can be a valuable exercise that enriches mental health. Start your journaling journey today.
Sources
urmc.rochester.edu - Journaling for Mental Health
sunshinebehavioralhealth.com - Non-12-Step Rehab Programs
penguin.co.uk - 12 of the best Ernest Hemingway quotes
goodreads.com - Susan Sontag Quotes
parade.com - From Narnia to Wormwood to the Four Loves—Here Are the Best 125 C.S. Lewis Quotes
flavorwire.com - 10 Famous Authors on the Importance of Keeping a Journal
medium.com - 5 Celebrities Who Keep A Journal
intelligentchange.com - 11 Celebrity Five Minute Journalers
Author bio: Heidi Bitsoli has been a content writer with Sunshine Behavioral Health since 2019, where she researches and writes articles, guides, and blog posts on mental health and addiction. Prior to that, she wrote extensively on health, medicine, business, and human interest topics for a variety of clients. Her writings have appeared in numerous university publications, magazines, newspapers, and websites. She has a degree in English from Lake Superior State University in northern Michigan. A lifelong lover of learning, she enjoys researching and writing about the complexities of mental health.
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