Anxiety Journaling
Anxiety can sneak into our minds and turn even the smallest concerns into overwhelming fears. By the time we’ve realized anxiety is taking hold, we’re already dealing with racing thoughts, nervousness, and relentless worrying.
It can be difficult to pinpoint where these troubling thoughts are coming from while we’re still in the moment. However, if we never take time to reflect on them, they can continue to spiral and make it even more difficult to manage anxiety in the future.
By setting aside time for journaling, you can gain deep insights into your anxiety and how it affects you. To help you learn how to journal for anxiety, let’s take a look at what journaling is, why it helps manage anxiety, and practical strategies for getting started.
What Is Journaling?
Journaling allows you to record your thoughts, emotions, and experiences. It’s similar to writing in a diary, but it takes more of an introspective approach to writing rather than a narrative one.
Writing in a journal creates a personal space for honesty, self-reflection, and free expression. It’s a judgment-free zone where you can express your thoughts and feelings without having to worry about criticism or misunderstandings.
The goal of journaling is to write what’s on your mind. To do this, you can either start writing and see where it takes you, or you could follow writing prompts to hone in on specific topics.
Why Tracking Anxiety in a Journal Is Helpful
Journaling can be a deeply personal and therapeutic experience. It captures your stream of thoughts and feelings and records them in a tangible form. This makes it easier to gain clarity on why you think, feel, and behave in the way that you do.
Tracking anxiety in a journal allows you to:
- Organize racing thoughts
- Express troubling emotions
- Identify challenging situations
- Practice mindfulness and grounding
- Set goals for improvement
- Track progress over time
After looking through your journal entries, you’ll be able to identify the triggers and common themes that relate to your anxiety. Not only does this help you understand where your anxiety comes from, but it also empowers you to take steps towards managing it in the future.
Read our related article to discover what it means to be grounded.
Anxiety Treatment in Mesa, Arizona
The care team at Sequoia are experts in treating severe anxiety issues. Learn more about our holistic treatment program, and how we utilize years of knowledge and experience to tailor treatment to the needs of each client.
How to Journal for Anxiety—Strategies, Prompts, and Getting Started
The first strategy for anxiety journaling is to make it part of your regular routine. Consistent journaling provides deep insights into your triggers, thoughts, and emotions. Over time, you’ll develop a stronger sense of control over your anxiety and the situations that provoke it.
The second strategy is to expand on your journal entries. After recording the thoughts that are circling your head, reread them and write more about them. Be sure to include:
- What triggered your anxiety
- Why you feel the way you do
- What you could’ve done differently
- When you started noticing your anxiety
- What you can do to prevent your anxiety from spiraling
The third strategy is to record what you’ve learned about your anxiety. After writing several journal entries, you’ll begin to notice the specific situations and thought patterns that relate to your anxiety. Recording and reflecting on these insights can help you develop better methods for coping with anxiety in the future.
Read our related guide for more information about anxiety and how it’s treated.
Anxiety Journal Prompts
If you need more structure or feel a little apprehensive about where to start, you can use anxiety journal prompts. Some of the most common and effective anxiety journal prompts include:
- What can I control right now?
- What do I really need at this moment?
- What is making me feel anxious today?
- What am I afraid of, and how is it limiting me?
- What would I tell a friend who feels the way I do?
- What are my fears, and how likely are they to happen?
When using an anxiety journal prompt, it’s okay to combine multiple prompts, revisit them in different entries, and allow yourself to wander away from the original prompt. You can always expand on your entry and record what you’ve learned to get a better understanding of what you wrote.
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The Physical Manifestations of Anxiety
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What You Need to Start Anxiety Journaling
Anxiety journaling is a powerful tool that only requires two things to get started: a relaxing environment and a journal to record your thoughts.
Before you start journaling, you should choose a location that makes you feel safe and calm. This could be a quiet place in your home, a cozy corner in a coffee shop, or a relaxing spot outdoors. The goal is to find a place where you can fully immerse yourself in your writing and self-reflection.
When choosing a journal, you don’t need anything too elaborate or complicated. While there are high-end anxiety journals that include prompts, checklists, and coloring pages, a simple notebook or journal is generally more effective if you’re just getting started. The goal is to find something that you can comfortably use without any added pressure or expectations.
Achieve Mental Wellness Through Holistic Healing
Tapping into our creative side may not seem like an obvious path to treatment, but it plays an important role in the healing process.
That’s why at Sequoia Behavioral Health, we offer powerful therapy modalities like experiential therapy and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) to help you express yourself when it’s difficult to do so.
Our program takes a holistic approach to healing, meaning we focus on treating the whole person—not just their immediate symptoms.
Reach out today to get in touch with one of our mental health experts and take the first steps towards mental wellness.
Learn More
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps clients connect their thoughts and emotions in order to better control their reactions and behaviors.
Narrative Therapy
Narrative therapy helps individuals rewrite the negative stories they tell themselves, empower them to take control of their lives, and find new meaning and purpose.
Strength-Based Therapy
Strength-Based Therapy helps people realize their strengths and utilize them to achieve their goals. It focuses on re-framing your perceptions of yourself.
Journaling is an incredibly helpful tool for anxiety. It's also a large piece of experiential therapy, which is helpful for a number of mental health struggles.