7 Reasons Why Journaling Doesn’t Work for You and How to Fix It!
written by Ana
posted on Oct 21, 2022
We all heard that journaling is a number one tool for self-care, but have you tried it and found it hard to sit down and write about your thoughts all the time? It’s pretty common for people to try it out a couple of times and then say that it doesn’t have any therapeutic effect.
Although there are some disadvantages of keeping a personal journal, maybe there are other reasons why journaling didn’t work for you?
Let’s find out what these can be!
1. You’ve tried the wrong journaling technique
With so many types of journaling techniques, it can be really hard to keep up with all of them! Some of these quickly become trendy on social media and it’s easy to try out the most popular journaling methods because you have seen cute pictures on Instagram or TikTok.
A Bullet Journal, which is more like a planner you make yourself in a dotted notebook, is on the rise now, but if you are not artistic and get frustrated when making a mistake, it might not be suitable for you.
Another popular exercise is handwriting three pages of text a day. Morning Pages, a technique introduced by writer Julia Cameron in her book ‘The Artist’s Way‘, is a stream-of-consciousness writing that is designed to help creative individuals get into a practice of writing every day.
However, spending 30 to 40 minutes to write whatever comes to your mind every day might feel like a drag for some people, so this method might not be for you.
How to make it work: find a journaling technique that works for you – whether it’s a brain dump, Morning Pages, a bullet journal etc.
2. You give up before making it a habit that sticks
You probably came across these videos on YouTube where people try journaling for 30 days and end up not liking it. Although they see some benefits but decide not to do it after the challenge is over.
A common misconception that it takes only 21 days for a new habit to stick emerged because of the mention in the book ‘Psycho-Cybernetics‘ by Dr Maxwell Maltz. In the book he said that it took himself and his patients “21 days for an old mental image to dissolve and a new one to gel.”
However, newer studies found that, on average, it can take you anywhere from 18 to 254 days to form a new habit.
How to make it work: give yourself at least 3 months to try out journaling and see if you like it then.
3. It feels like work to you
So, you have tried journaling consistently for 30+ days and started hating it because it feels like a chore you have to do every day?
It can happen if you are overthinking it and try to push yourself to pour out 3 full pages of words in 30 minutes daily.
That is definitely too much.
In fact, studies that looked into the effect of journaling on mental health were asking patients to journal for only 20 minutes 3 days a week for a total of 3 months.
Generally, it’s recommended to write when you feel like writing. If your goal is to journal for anxiety, then you can reach for your notebook when you’re feeling overwhelmed.
For someone who is working on personal development, it might be enough to jot down key focus of the day and do a quick reflection.
Gratitude journaling has more benefits if you do it daily but it can be no longer than 5 minuted a days.
4. Journaling is just a technique and not a treatment
It is important to understand that journaling is just a tool you can use to recover from traumatic events, as well as reduce depression and anxiety symptoms. However, if you have concerns about your mental health, it’s best to reach out to a specialist and they can recommend a form of therapy.
Do not rely on journaling as the only tool for managing your symptoms. Always reach out to a specialist to get help with your mental health issues and they can recommend a course of therapy for you. They might suggest keeping a journal to discuss certain topics you wrote about during your therapy sessions.
5. A simple pen and paper might not be for you
Writing things down using a pen on a blank white page in a black notebook can simply be boring for you! If a traditional way doesn’t work for you, then it’s time to get creative! Maybe get that colourful notebook you always wanted and a set of glitter pens.
Many people also print out pictures or glue photos into their bullet journals to make things more exciting. There are no rules when it comes to journaling – write what you want and how you want!
6. It’s hard for you to concentrate on writing
For some people, it can be hard to focus and concentrate on writing. Whether you’re overthinking or overanalysing something or going through a stressful time at the moment, it can be hard to keep focus for writing.
Maybe, in this case, you can find it more beneficial to try something different – audio journaling, drawing something or making a collage of how you feel using pictures from the internet.
There are also multiple ways to keep a journal for people who hate writing, but still want to get all the benefits of journaling.
7. You’re thinking only about the negative things
Many people decide to keep a journal to manage symptoms of depression and anxiety. Although numerous studies have shown that writing in a journal can lower how often intrusive and depressive thoughts come to your mind, sometimes writing only about negative events can make you feel like there’s nothing good happening in your life.
It’s important to remember that when you get these negatives thoughts down on paper, you need to process them in a more analytical way, leaving emotions behind and then respond appropriately to them.
Let us know in the comments section whether you like to journal and how you made it interesting? Share your experience with others!
Want more journaling tips, tricks, and ideas? Follow us on Pinterest!
Happy Journaling:)
With better awareness, better results
A&A
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