Big surprise: here at Thirty Days Journals, we think journaling is pretty great. Not only do we have personal experience to back up our claim, but we also have tons of insight from journalers all over the world who find this kind of expressive writing to be life-changing, healing, and the thing that has helped them get real and chase their dreams.

But for the skeptics out there… those who claim, “It might be helpful for some people, but it’s not really my thing,” may we offer some research-backed evidence that supports the theory that journaling can improve pretty much every area of your life? You’re still reading, so thanks for hearing us out - we’d be happy to share what researchers have found.

Set the foundation.

From the research article published by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2005, Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, Volume 11, Issue 5, the author writes this:

In the first study on expressive writing (Pennebaker & Beall, 1986), college students wrote for 15 minutes on 4 consecutive days about ‘the most traumatic or upsetting experiences’ of their entire lives, while controls wrote about superficial topics (such as their room or their shoes). Participants who wrote about their deepest thoughts and feelings reported significant benefits in both objectively assessed and self-reported physical health 4 months later, with less frequent visits to the health centre and a trend towards fewer days out of role owing to illness. The authors concluded that:

‘writing about earlier traumatic experience was associated with both short-term increases in physiological arousal and long-term decreases in health problems’ (Pennebaker & Beall, 1986: p. 280).

So we have evidence all the way back to 1986 that illustrates the benefits of expressive writing, aka journaling. This article goes on to describe the many, many benefits, which will be discussed in a minute. This post gathers information from a few different research studies to highlight the benefits of journaling from a multidimensional perspective.

Multidimensional wellness.

In the mental health and substance abuse world, the “Eight Dimensions of Wellness” is a well-known model that describes the different areas of wellness that can impact an individual’s quality of life. Although separate, each dimension is a part of the whole system and dysfunction in one dimension can impact the others. It’s kind of like the human body - each organ is different but if one is failing, the whole body struggles.

The Eight Dimensions of Wellness

Let’s break down each dimension of wellness and describe how journaling can improve that particular, which in whole enhance the vitality and health of the individual as a whole. For the purposes of this article, “consistent journal practice” refers to 3-5 times per week for 15-20 minutes per session, although that is an individual preference for each journaler.

Remember: all areas are interdependent and impact one another. When we improve physical health, bettermental health often follows. When we improve intellectual health, finances are often impacted, etc. So envision how improving each area in your own life might impact the others.

Physical Wellness

• Stronger immune system (1)

• Reduced blood pressure (1)

• Fewer visits to the doctor and/or days in the hospital (1)

• Improved liver function (1)

• Improved lung function (1)

• Improved sport/fitness performance (1)

• Lower cortisol levels

Emotional Wellness

• Feelings of greater psychological well-being (1)

• Improved mood/affect (1)

• Reduced depressive symptoms (1, 2 )

• Reduced anxiety symptoms (2)

• Fewer stress-related visits to the doctor (1, 2)

• Reduced post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms (2)

Relational Wellness

• Increased clarity of needs, desires, and preferences (6)

• Improved self-awareness and emotional intelligence (3, 6)

• Enhanced ability to set and maintain boundaries (6)

• Greater success with resolving conflict (6)

Intellectual Wellness

• Enhanced creativity and clarity (3, 6)

• Improved working memory (1)

• Higher grade point average for students (1)

• Improved ability to articulate self accurately (3, 6)

Financial Wellness

• Quicker re-employment after job loss (1)

• Reduced absenteeism from work (1)

• Enhanced creativity and productivity (3)

• Increased clarity on goals and ability to take risks (3, 4)

Occupational Wellness

• Greater satisfaction with one’s work (4)

• Stronger meaning and fulfillment from work and hobbies

• Increased clarity on personal values and achieving work-life balance (3)

Environmental Wellness

• Increased time spent in pleasant, stimulating environments

• Greater connection to and fulfilling of one’s needs (5)

Spiritual Wellness

• Enhanced sense of one’s meaning and purpose in life (5)

• Stronger connection to spirituality (5)

• Offers time, space, and attention to deeper aspects of one’s mind (5)

Final thoughts.

We think that’s a pretty impressive list for something that can be done with a commitment of only 15 minutes, 3-5 times a week, that doesn’t require sweat or even a change out of pajamas. Maybe it’s worth giving it a shot?

If you want to dip your toes into this whole journaling thing, this is a great place to start. Our social media pages contain tons of journal prompts to get you started. And of course, check out the TDJ Shop to see the whole collection of Thirty Days goodness.

Related: The Number One Tip for Effective Journaling That No One Talks About

Sources

1. Baikie and Wilhelm, Advances in Psychiatric Treatment , Volume 11 , Issue 5 , September 2005 , pp. 338 - 346

2. https://www.verywellhealth.com/journaling-7498123

3. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lucianapaulise/2023/08/14/the-power-of-journaling-and-why-it-matters-in-your-career/?sh=4cd197cd69aa

4. https://journling.com/journaling-for-personal-finance/

5. https://www.spiritualityhealth.com/spiritual-benefits-of-journaling

6. https://thehealthymarriage.org/journaling-for-couples/

7. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. From the website: https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/d7/priv/sma16-4953.pdf