Table of Contents
Is it bad to write down your negative thoughts?
Take the trash out: According to new research in Psychological Science, writing down your negative thoughts and tossing them in the garbage can erase your bad mood. Writing about positive emotions may help to reduce stress and anxiety, according to our new study, published in the British Journal of Health Psychology. Earlier research has also found that writing about negative emotions – getting things “off your chest” – can improve your mental health. Spiraling negative thoughts can be a result of overthinking. This tends to happen when we have few distractions – which is why lying awake at night churning things over in our mind is a familiar feeling to many. At the time, negative thoughts may seem completely rational and logical. So we believe them to be true. Journaling your thoughts, emotions, and challenges has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. One reason: Putting down our problems on paper often helps us see the causes — and therefore solutions — more clearly.
Is it good to write down your thoughts?
The process of writing your thoughts down helps to solidify them. Seeing them on the paper allows you to see them more clearly and will push you into taking action. This doesn’t just apply to negative thoughts or problems; writing down your ideas and ambitions for the future is the first step to making them a reality. Journaling also helps people hone their focus so that they think about only one thing at a time. When you write your thoughts by hand, you can only write one word at a time. Your thoughts slow down to match your writing speed and you’ll find that it’s easier to slip out of your overthinking mindset. Negative thinking has many different causes. Intrusive negative thoughts can be a symptom of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) or another mental health condition. Negative thinking is also symptomatic of depression (Negative Thinking and Depression: How One Fuels the Other). The simple act of expressing thoughts and feelings on paper about challenging and upsetting events can allow us to move forward by expressing and letting go of the feelings involved. Expressive writing also provides an opportunity to construct a meaningful personal narrative about what happened. Keep a journal Write down your unwanted and intrusive thoughts, noting what rituals or compulsions you did to try to combat these thoughts. Be careful though, while journaling can help you objectively look at your thought patterns, it can also make you self-obsessed. Journaling can make you feel worse when you brood on the page, when writing is just a method of venting in which you constantly reinforce the story at the core of your reactions and emotions. In this case, indulging your anger only prolongs it — and your suffering.
Should you write down your thoughts?
The process of writing your thoughts down helps to solidify them. Seeing them on the paper allows you to see them more clearly and will push you into taking action. This doesn’t just apply to negative thoughts or problems; writing down your ideas and ambitions for the future is the first step to making them a reality. Journaling also helps people hone their focus so that they think about only one thing at a time. When you write your thoughts by hand, you can only write one word at a time. Your thoughts slow down to match your writing speed and you’ll find that it’s easier to slip out of your overthinking mindset. Journaling helps you declutter your mind, which leads to better thinking. Writing in a journal also sharpens your memory and improves your learning capability. There’s a reason why when you take the time to pen your thoughts, plans, and experiences, you remember them better, while also feeling more focused. The best way to use journaling to process your thoughts and feelings is to write about what’s going on in your life that day. Discuss what’s happened to you, how you feel about things, and any worries that you have. Keep writing until your timer goes off or you feel better. Many studies suggest that there are brain-friendly benefits of writing out letters, notes, essays, or journal entries by hand that you can’t get from typing. Writing by hand connects you with the words and allows your brain to focus on them, understand them and learn from them.
What psychology says about negative thoughts?
Negative thoughts are cognitive components of negative psychosocial variables such as depressive symptoms, anxiety, loneliness, and hostility. Depressive cognitions, for instance, include thoughts of hopelessness, helplessness, and diminished self-worth. Spiraling negative thoughts can be a result of overthinking. This tends to happen when we have few distractions – which is why lying awake at night churning things over in our mind is a familiar feeling to many. At the time, negative thoughts may seem completely rational and logical. So we believe them to be true. The process of writing your thoughts down helps to solidify them. Seeing them on the paper allows you to see them more clearly and will push you into taking action. This doesn’t just apply to negative thoughts or problems; writing down your ideas and ambitions for the future is the first step to making them a reality. The two most common diagnoses associated with intrusive thoughts are anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). They can also be a symptom of depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bipolar Disorder, or Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The two most common diagnoses associated with intrusive thoughts are anxiety and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). They can also be a symptom of depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bipolar Disorder, or Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
Does writing down intrusive thoughts help?
130, No. 3), indicates that expressive writing reduces intrusive and avoidant thoughts about negative events and improves working memory. These improvements, researchers believe, may in turn free up our cognitive resources for other mental activities, including our ability to cope more effectively with stress. Journaling can help reduce intrusive thoughts which lessens your stress level. By reducing your stress level, you are increasing your cognitive energy that can be used towards forming memories. Journaling helps keep your brain in tip-top shape. Not only does it boost memory and comprehension, it also increases working memory capacity, which may reflect improved cognitive processing. It might also help your physical health. Letting your emotions out can reduce stress, which can boost your immune system — as long as you then process your emotions. But journaling isn’t for everyone. Some people find that it doesn’t feel calming or fulfilling and the stress of finding the “perfect” words to put on paper can be overwhelming. As a child, I would get super excited every time I got a new diary or notebook—and then stress out if I missed writing for a few days.
Can you write negative things in your journal?
In fact, most people find tremendous support by writing negative thoughts into a journal, as it allows them to clear these things from their minds. But for some, this venting can result in a negative mindset. This can sometimes be prevented by simply not journaling about your negativity at all. Journaling helps control your symptoms and improve your mood by: Helping you prioritize problems, fears, and concerns. Tracking any symptoms day-to-day so that you can recognize triggers and learn ways to better control them. Providing an opportunity for positive self-talk and identifying negative thoughts and … Journaling encourages space from negative or self-critical thinking, allowing the client to see that what they think and feel is not who they are but something they are experiencing. Journaling allows the client to see that what they think and feel is not who they are but something they are experiencing. Journaling everyday is a great way to become more in tune with your inner thoughts and feelings and get in a better headspace. Starting your journaling according to specific prompts is a great way to shift your mindset and put yourself in a positive frame of mind. Journaling can be a great self-care idea for introvert. It gives us a chance to reflect in solitude and channel our thoughts into words. If you have trouble sitting still for an hour every day, journaling can be a less intimidating alternative. So often, we let our minds slip through our jam-packed schedule.