If Journaling Doesn’t Work for You, Try These 3 Stress-Relief Tips Instead

Journaling is so often seen as a prime self-care strategy, and for good reason. “Journaling is one way to externalize your thoughts,” says Yessel Yoon, PhD, a clinical psychologist based in New York. Putting thoughts on a page in written words helps you see things more clearly and gives you the opportunity to reflect, says Ciara Bogdanovic, LMFT, a licensed marriage and family therapist based in California. Plus, if you’re stewing over certain thoughts or something inside you feels stuck, writing it down can free up space in your mind, says Dr. Yoon.

But sometimes, you may not feel particularly drawn to putting pen to paper and processing your feelings. (Even I have trouble with it, and I write for a living!). You may not feel relieved after journaling your thoughts and feelings, or you might feel disconnected from the words you're writing on the page.

Ultimately, journaling is not a one-size-fits-all mental health tool, says Victoria Grinman, PhD, LCSW-R, a psychotherapist based in New York. Sometimes, it may further your anxious or depressive symptoms or exacerbate your feelings of being "stuck."

So, what can you do if journaling makes you feel worse? Read on for alternatives from mental health experts, plus when journaling might actually be helpful (even if it initially makes you feel a bit worse).

Why does journaling sometimes make you feel worse?

While dumping all of your thoughts on paper can feel cathartic, “without structure and intentionality, journaling can increase anxiety for people rather than decrease it,” says Dr. Grinman. Sometimes, "journaling may trigger or reinforce rumination," says Bogdanovic, which is when your mind spends lots of time on the same topic without coming to a firm resolution or alternate ways of thinking about the topic.

Unfortunately, if you live with anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or any type of perfectionism, you may already tend to ruminate, Bogdanovic adds. This means, if you're journaling about a particular issue, you may reinforce this sense of rumination, which keeps you in a heightened state of fear around the topic.

Dr. Grinman also notes that writing down raw, unfiltered thoughts has the potential to create stress for people with different trauma histories, people who are neurodivergent, or highly sensitive people. "They may sometimes end up getting flooded by the experience, and start to relive something really painful without really having support," she adds. This can cause painful emotions to amplify rather than quiet down.

Additionally, journaling can intensify your self-critical voice (aka your inner critic), says Dr. Yoon. You may even critique yourself as you're writing, either about the content, the messiness of your handwriting, or the incoherence of your thoughts, she adds. Both Dr. Yoon and Bogdanovic also agree that for people with depression, journaling without specific prompts can sometimes deepen self-critical narratives or negative narratives held about the world.

Finally, if you’re a highly intellectual person who values your ability to articulate yourself in words and rationalize things, journaling may lead you to intellectualize your emotions (i.e., using logic to avoid feeling emotions), instead of allowing yourself to process them, says Dr. Yoon.

Does this mean you should stop journaling altogether?

Truthfully, the decision to continue journaling or not all depends on how you feel. Before you completely stop, you may want to try journaling with certain intentions, prompts, or within set parameters (like only journaling for a few minutes or about a specific thought) to see if that's helpful.

If, after these tweaks, you find that journaling still isn't your thing, you may want to experiment with other self-care strategies to relieve symptoms of stress or anxiety. This may include seeking support from a mental health professional, like a therapist, to learn other coping skills that fit your needs.

Bottom line: Dr. Yoon suggests viewing journaling as just one tool in your self-care toolbox. There are plenty of other ways you can learn to cope with unpleasant emotions, which we'll touch on below.

What to do instead of journaling to support your mental health

Rest assured: "If writing is not working for someone, it doesn't mean you're doing it wrong,” Dr. Grinman says. Essentially, the goal of journaling boils down to connecting with yourself, regulating your emotions, and processing thoughts that feel jumbled or stuck in your head, which you can do in other ways.

One of the best ways is to reconnect with and regulate your body by engaging your senses, says Dr. Grinman. This can look like moving your body every day to help relieve stress, such as running, walking, swimming, dancing, playing sports, hitting the gym, or even doing Pilates. Anything that gets your body moving and heart pumping should do the trick.

Another method to help ground yourself fast is called bilateral tapping. This exercise involves standing or sitting up straight, then crossing your arms over your chest, then using your right hand to tap over your left shoulder and your left hand to tap over your right shoulder, alternating every few times, per Bogdanovic. Research has shown that this tapping motion (either bilaterally or in general), can help relax the nervous system and process feelings of anxiety.¹

And if you're looking to tap into your creative side, activities like drawing, painting, collaging, clay or dough sculpting, scrapbooking, and dancing can serve as channels for processing through difficult thoughts or feelings.² (Personally, in my teen years, I used apps like Tumblr as a digital journal to repost images and text that resonated with me. But any app that allows you to express creativity, like Pinterest, for example, can be helpful.)

Talking things out with trusted friends or loved ones can also be a healthy way to process through certain thoughts and emotions if you feel like you're more of a verbal processor.

4 tips for journaling to help you feel better

At the end of the day, journaling can still be a healthy part of your self-care routine, even if you're just jotting things down to relay to your therapist the next time you meet. Here are some expert-approved strategies to help positively change the way you journal.

1. Keep a "voice memo" journal 

Instead of writing or typing, why not speak aloud?, says Dr. Yoon. It may feel strange at first, but talking is a great way to "journal" or externalize what's going on inside. Talking aloud, to yourself or a pretend person in your room, is extremely helpful for expressing anger, disappointment, or whatever else is going on that day.

Verbalizing your thoughts can be liberating because you may filter yourself less, and can help people feel more connected to their truth because you can be more expressive, says Dr. Grinman. Or, if you'd like to keep a record, you can also record a voice memo.

2. Ground yourself before you start writing

Before you even open your notebook or talk, start with something to ground your body and help regulate your nervous system, says Dr. Grinman. “A regulated body supports a reflective mind,” she adds. This could involve sipping a cup of tea, eating a tasty snack, taking a shower, going for a walk, stretching, or holding something soft like a pet. Whatever connects you to the present moment by engaging your senses.

3. Set parameters or use specific prompts

According to Dr. Grinman, using a journaling prompt can offer a very specific point of focus and attention that feels regulating, so you know what to expect going into the practice. While there are many different prompts you can use to get started, here are some of Dr. Grinman and Bogdanovic's favorites:

• One thing that I'm really proud of today is…
• Something I really want to let go of is…
• One way that I felt after [insert event] is…
• What are some things that I can be grateful for?
• What are the things that happened today that made me feel confident? 
• What are the things that happened today that made me feel connected to others? 
• What is keeping me stuck? 
• What fear is holding me back from moving forward?

4. Notice your feelings and attend to them

Journaling can stir up or bring to light the feelings buried within you, says Dr. Yoon. If you’re writing and writing and suddenly feel upset, it’s a sign to pause, and check in with yourself: Is there another way that you might want to be with this feeling?

“You don’t have to force yourself to keep writing,” says Dr. Yoon. For some of us, writing through the emotion isn’t going to help. You can allow yourself to switch gears and swap it out for something else, she says. Pivot to something that engages your senses and soothes you. For example, you could get up to walk around, listen to music, draw, or get something delicious to eat or drink.

Learning your tried-and-true methods for grounding your body is important, says Dr. Grinman, so you’ll know what to turn to when journaling uncovers some unpleasant emotions.

The bottom line

Sometimes, “it's normal to feel like journaling is not working for you,” says Dr. Grinman. “It normalizes the experience that so many people have, including myself," she adds.

Even though it’s often touted as a universally helpful strategy to support your mental well-being, journaling has the potential to lead to rumination and exacerbate self-critical or depressive beliefs, keeping you in a dysregulated, heightened state. This is why it's important to learn whether or not writing is the way your brain positively externalizes what's brewing in your mind.

If you want to continue to journal, try using specific prompts or parameters (like a time limit) to help best support your needs. And remember, journaling is simply one tool in your self-care toolbox—meditating, talking it out, moving your body, or getting creative can also help relieve feelings of anxiety or stress.

And ultimately, if you feel like your mental health is interfering with your daily life and enjoyment, seeking help from a mental health professional is always a great option for personalized support.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or go to FindTreatment.gov for resources and treatment options. If you’re having thoughts of harming yourself or others, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.