How meditation and journaling improve your mental health

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Journaling and meditation are often recommended as ways to improve your mental health. But how do these activities support you through difficult times? Here’s a look at the positive impact that journaling and meditation can have on your life, no matter what you might be going through.

Journaling

Throughout our lives, we feel a variety of intense emotions daily- like stress, sadness, anxiety, etc. We need positive ways to cope with and manage these overwhelming emotions. One healthy way of doing so is to express yourself through journaling. Writing a journal can help you identify your negative thoughts so that you can tackle them one at a time or discuss them with your therapist. This will also help you learn positive self-talk.

Moreover, when you write down what’s bothering you, it becomes easier to analyze your concerns, fears, desires, and problems. Journaling will also help you track your symptoms for mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety so you can identify triggers and manage them better.

When people are going through mental health struggles, they often find it difficult to keep track of their time. They may feel that the days are blending into each other and feel unproductive. To tackle this, it is recommended to write down 3 things you are grateful for, and 3 things you got done today. This can provide you a sense of accomplishment and gratitude. 

Meditation

Furthermore, meditation is also a great way of supporting your mental health. It reduces stress and helps you relax. It can also help reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and asthma. This is one of the reasons why meditation has been used for mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a therapy program that incorporates mindfulness meditation. 

Meditation allows you to take time for some deep self-reflection: you mindfully listen to your thoughts and feelings. This can help you become more self-aware. Meditation can also sharpen your memory and enhance your ability to concentrate. 

Clearly, both meditation and journaling have major mental health benefits. Incorporating these activities into your day will not only help reduce symptoms of mental illnesses but also make your life more fulfilling.

Akshita Goswami