How Journaling Can Be Harmful?
I’ve been journaling for almost two years now. I’ve written hundreds of pages filled with emotions, both the good and the bad. Some people wonder if this habit of journaling can be harmful and, yes, there are times when it can be overwhelming and can do harm to our mind.
Before going right into the disadvantages, let me tell you about myself.
I started journaling when I entered the world of teens. My life became restless, so I decided to start journaling. As soon as I completed the first page in my journal, I knew I was going to continue this habit. It was love at first sight.
This is an article about how journaling can be harmful, but that doesn’t mean that I think journaling is harmful. Journaling has helped me in a lot of ways. But, there are days when I am the victim of anxiety(Read till the end and you will know how).
So, here are the harmfulness:-
If you write your journal, then you might even relate to some of this.
1. Journaling can cause you to overthink your life.
A compulsive journaling habit can cause you to constantly overthink your life. This can keep you from living in the moment and enjoying your life as it goes.
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2. Journaling can be confronting at times.
When you are in a rough spot and want to write down the negativity that's in your life, doing so can be very confronting. This can cause anxiety for some people.
3. Writing about negativity might cause you to spiral down.
Our minds are interesting, as the things that are on our mind can cause a reaction of thoughts. More often than not, we are unaware when our mind enters such a chain reaction. It’s very simple. The mindset that you are in NOW can influence the mindset that you’ll be in LATER.
Either way, when you are going through a rough patch, journaling can cause your mind to spiral down into a chain reaction of negativity. I’m not saying that this will happen to you per definition. 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 process can result in a negative mindset. This can sometimes be prevented by simply not journaling about your negativity at all.
4. You can get stuck inside your journal.
Some people feel such an extreme urge to journal that their lives are consumed by it. A great example of this is Robert Shields. For 25 years, he journaled about every single 5-minute interval of his life. When he had to stop due to a stroke, he had produced a journal of 37.5 million words that filled 94 boxes. Crazy, right? It’s truly bizarre.
Robert Shield’s habit of journaling can be described as compulsive. I think this is the best example of how you can get stuck inside your journal. Do you want the majority of your life to be about how you’ve been journaling about your life?
I guess not.
Journaling can be harmful only when you allow it.
In your life, if you ever come across these scenarios, you can easily avoid it. No matter how much you like journaling or how much it benefits your life, you shouldn’t spend your whole life doing that one thing. You need to properly moderate the time you spend on it.
Have I ever been harmed by journaling?
Yes, I may have felt anxious or troubled by my words, but nothing serious.
To those people who may have to deal with anxiety while journaling: Just write about your feelings of anxiety when journaling. So instead of being afraid of what you’ll write down, just write down about your feelings of being afraid.
Here's an important thing to take note of: Live your life instead of journaling it.
"That’s the thing with a diary, though. To record your life, you sort of need to live it. Not at your desk, but beyond it. Out in the world where it’s so beautiful and complex and painful that sometimes you just need to sit down and write about it."
You can mail me your views through:
patorbidisha12@gmail.com
bidishakanchita@gmail.com
Have a great day, thank you!
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Other blogs by Bidisha:
Here's why you should start journaling
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