What are the benefits of journaling, and how should you write for it to help? A step-by-step guide to expressive writing, emotion diaries and worry journals.
In your secondary school years you may have had a pink diary with a little lock. Or perhaps you never did; the word "diary" may strike you as a little childish, or as a habit peculiar to writers. Yet in recent years many mental health professionals have been recommending writing to their clients between sessions. The reason is not nostalgia: it is the clinical observation and research, accumulated over a long time, that putting feelings and thoughts onto paper helps to organise the mind. In this article we will talk about what we know of the benefits of journaling, what different forms of writing are good for, how you can begin and in which situations writing is not enough.
What Is Therapeutic Writing? How Does It Differ from an Ordinary Diary?
An ordinary diary often recounts the day's events in sequence: "Today I went to work, at lunchtime Mum called, in the evening we had guests." These records have value too; but therapeutic writing focuses less on the events and more on their echo in our inner world. Alongside the question of what happened, it asks questions such as: How did this make me feel? What went through my mind? What happened in my body? What do I need from here on?
The aim of therapeutic writing is not to produce a beautiful or polished text. Spelling mistakes, half-finished sentences and scattered thoughts are entirely acceptable. What matters here is that the vague weight circulating in the mind is turned into words. A feeling that has been turned into words usually becomes more understandable and more bearable. Writing also differs from talking in one respect: there is nobody in front of you listening, reacting or perhaps interrupting. This is why even feelings you could not tell anyone, the ones about which you think "I'd be judged for thinking this", can find a place on paper. Sentences you soften when speaking in order to protect the other person emerge in their real form when you write.
What Are the Benefits of Journaling?
The effects of writing about emotional experiences have long been studied in psychology. The work of James Pennebaker, one of the pioneers in this field, has shown that people who write briefly about difficult experiences over several consecutive days can show positive changes in mood and general well-being. Of course, writing does not have the same effect for everyone; but when done regularly and mindfully, it can offer support in the following areas:
- Naming emotions: A general feeling such as "I feel bad" turns, as you write, into a clearer emotion such as "I'm hurt, because my effort wasn't seen." A named emotion is less overwhelming.
- Emptying the mind: When thoughts that keep spinning in your head are transferred to paper, the mind no longer has to "hold" them. Brief writing before going to sleep, in particular, can make it easier to fall asleep.
- Seeing patterns: A journal kept over several weeks can show which situations trigger you, at what times of day your energy drops and after seeing whom you feel better. Connections invisible on any single day become clear over time.
- Making meaning: When writing about a difficult experience, thinking about the order and causes of events helps turn what happened into a more coherent story. This is especially important after loss and major changes.
- Observing your relationship with yourself: Seeing how you talk about yourself and which words you choose enables you to notice the tone of your inner voice.
- Seeing progress: Reading a page you wrote months ago can show you in concrete terms how far you have come. In hard times, this evidence is very valuable.
Writing does not solve the problem; but it takes the problem out of your head, places it in front of you and lets you look at it.
Which Form of Writing Is Good for What?
There is no single correct form of therapeutic writing. Different methods can be tried for different needs.
Expressive writing
Writing your deepest feelings and thoughts about an experience that has affected you profoundly, for about fifteen to twenty minutes a day, on three or four consecutive days. In this method you write without stopping, without correcting, knowing that nobody will read it. In the first few days emotions may intensify; this is to be expected. When working with severely traumatic memories, however, it is safer to use this method with a professional rather than on your own.
Emotion diary
When you experience a strong emotion during the day, you make a short note: What happened, what did I feel, how intense was it (from 0 to 10), what did I do? An emotion diary helps people recognise their triggers, especially those who experience angry outbursts, sudden bouts of crying or unexplained restlessness.
Worry journal and worry time
Instead of thinking about worries as soon as they come to mind during the day, you write them in a notebook and look at them at a set time (for example, fifteen minutes in the evening). This method loosens the mind's compulsion to solve every worry in the moment. If you struggle with thoughts that keep turning over in bed at night, it can be used alongside the suggestions in our article on overthinking.
Gratitude notes
Writing down, every evening, three things that went well that day, however small. This does not mean ignoring the hard things; it slightly balances the mind's tendency to get stuck on the negative. Even ordinary moments such as "I found a seat on the bus" or "My daughter hugged me when she came home from school" are enough.
The unsent letter
Writing a letter, knowing you will not send it, to someone you have lost, to a person who wronged you or to your past self. This form of writing, in which what could not be said face to face can be said, can be useful especially in processes of grief and hurt. For example, someone writing to their father whom they lost in the earthquake might, for the first time on paper, be able to say, "I'm sorry I spoke harshly to you on our last phone call."
Thought record
A structured table used in cognitive behavioural therapy, consisting of columns for the situation, automatic thought, emotion and alternative thought. Unlike free writing, it focuses on questioning thoughts. For details, see our article on the thought record.
How Do You Start Journaling?
Starting is often easier than keeping going. The following suggestions can help the habit take root:
- Start small. Instead of a goal of writing a page every day, aim for five minutes or three sentences. Writing briefly but regularly is more sustainable than writing at length but only occasionally.
- Choose a fixed time and place. With your morning coffee, on the staff bus on the way to work, at the kitchen table after the children are asleep. A new habit attached to an existing one takes hold more easily.
- Use a starter question. A blank page can be intimidating. Questions such as "What tired me most today?", "What do I feel in my body right now?" or "Who or what did I need today?" get the writing going.
- Don't censor yourself. Do not correct yourself as you write or delete things with "I shouldn't think this." Your journal should be a space that does not judge you.
- Don't write only about problems. Alongside the difficulties, make room for questions such as what went well, what you achieved and what made you laugh.
- Go back and read it from time to time. Looking at what you have written every few weeks enables you to notice recurring themes.
Imagine a factory worker on a three-shift rota who cannot understand why their sleep has become so disrupted. They decide to write two lines after every shift for two weeks: what time they went to bed, what they did before sleeping, how they felt. At the end of the second week they see that the time spent reading the news on their phone after night shifts markedly delays their falling asleep. This small observation gives them an idea for a change they can actually make.
Another example: a mother worn out by night-time wakings in the first months after giving birth feels she has no time for long entries. While breastfeeding, she tries writing just three words on her phone: the most dominant feeling that night. "Tired. Lonely. Love." When she looks at this short list a few weeks later, she notices that the word "lonely" recurs especially on the nights her husband is on duty, and she is able to talk to him about it. The benefits of journaling can emerge without long pages.
Writing for children and young people
Writing is not a tool reserved for adults. A child who has just learnt to read and write can keep a "feelings notebook" in which they describe their day with a drawing and a single sentence. Teenagers, meanwhile, are often more willing to put into writing the feelings they cannot talk about with their parents. The most important task for parents here is not to read the notebook, even if they are curious. A teenager discovering that their diary has been read can lead them both to stop writing and to lose trust in the parent. If there is a serious concern about the young person's safety, it is healthier to talk directly and, if necessary, seek support from a professional, rather than secretly reading the diary.
Are the Benefits of Journaling the Same for Everyone? Things to Watch Out For
For most people, writing is a safe and useful tool; but in some situations caution is needed.
The rumination trap: Some people, when writing, recount the same pain every day, in the same words, and feel worse the more they write. The benefit of writing comes not only from expressing the emotion but also from gaining a new perspective on it. If you have been writing about the same subject in the same way for a week and feel worse, consider changing your approach: add questions such as "What have I learnt from this situation?" or "What could my next small step be?"
Privacy concerns: In crowded homes, for young people sharing a room with siblings, or for people worried that their spouse might look through their notebook, privacy is a serious issue. The worry that what you write will be read gets in the way of honesty. In this case you can use a password-protected note on your phone, tear up what you have written after reading it, or choose to focus on the writing itself and keep no record. The benefit of expressive writing comes less from keeping what is written than from the process of writing itself.
Traumatic memories: If you have experienced severe trauma, writing about these memories in detail on your own can trigger intense emotions that are hard to control. It is safer to do this kind of work accompanied by a professional.
Perfectionism: The thought that if a journal is not kept "properly" it should not be kept at all can turn writing into yet another burden. When you have been unable to write for a few days, simply carry on where you left off; a journal is not an exam.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
Writing is a valuable part of self-care, but it does not replace treatment. It may be helpful to speak to a professional in the following situations:
- If themes of hopelessness, worthlessness or reluctance that have lasted for weeks keep recurring in what you write
- If writing consistently makes you feel worse rather than relieving you
- If you experience intense panic, a sense of detachment or nightmares when you try to write about a past event
- If anxiety or worries are noticeably restricting your daily life
- If thoughts of death or harming yourself are becoming prominent in what you write
In the last case, do not settle for writing; if your thoughts are intensifying or you do not feel safe, call 112 (emergency services) immediately or ask someone close to you for help.
How Is Writing Used in Therapy?
In many therapeutic approaches, writing is an important part of the work between sessions. In cognitive behavioural therapy, clients are usually asked to record the thoughts and feelings they experience in particular situations. These records become the material for the next session: therapist and client examine the patterns together, question the thoughts and plan new behavioural steps.
Unsent letters may be used in grief work, structured written accounts of what happened in trauma-focused approaches, and writing that expresses unmet needs in schema therapy. For clients who experience anxiety, the worry journal and worry time teach them to build a different relationship with their thoughts instead of trying to control them.
What distinguishes writing in therapy from writing on your own is that what has been written can be explored within a safe relationship. The client meets again, in the company of another person in the session, the feelings they faced alone in their notebook. If you are struggling with intense anxiety or constant worry, you can find out about the support offered in the area of anxiety and panic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to write by hand or on my phone?
Both have advantages. Because writing by hand is slower, it gives you time to think and helps you get away from the screen. Writing on your phone, on the other hand, is always to hand and can be password-protected. Choosing the method that feels sustainable to you matters more than which one is more effective.
I'm worried someone will read what I write; what can I do?
This is a very common worry. You can use an encrypted app, destroy the paper after writing, or write only outside the home, for example in a café. The benefit of writing arises largely during the act of writing; you do not have to keep it.
Do I need to write every day?
No. Writing regularly a few times a week is also beneficial. Expressive writing about a specific difficulty, however, is usually done on several consecutive days. What matters is that you see writing less as an obligation and more as time you set aside for yourself.
I feel worse after writing; should I stop?
A brief emotional intensification in the first few days after starting to write about a difficult subject is normal. However, if this bad feeling lasts for days or grows every time you write, you might consider changing the subject, shortening your writing time or carrying out this process with a professional.
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Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
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