Megan Hutchison. Photo: Wonderferris
1 July doesn’t just mark the peak of winter; it’s also the beginning of what psychologists call SAD season when days are at their shortest. It’s long been established these shorter darker days can result in Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, which can impact our mood, but now researchers have found that people tend to produce less serotonin in winter due to lower levels of sunlight exposure. But it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s a rising body of research that shows the simple practice of daily gratitude journaling can keep those blues at bay.
In an era where we spend more time on our phones than ever before, it may come as a surprise to learn the practice of journaling is having a renaissance, particularly with Gen Z. Forgoing the blue light and keyboard, there is a growing movement in favour of putting pen to paper and reaping the rewards for our mental wellbeing.
The antithesis of scrolling social media, there has been a growing movement recognising that journaling offers a respite from the ‘dopamine loop’ our phones are designed to pull us into and that those who journal are rewiring their brains for the better.
Backed by decades of psychological research, a regular journaling practice reduces overall levels of depression and anxiety, enhances our immune system, leads to better sleep, more self-confidence, and even a higher I.Q. It even has instant benefits; it can help us to process emotions and cope with symptoms of stress and burnout and enables us to let go of negative emotions that we might otherwise dwell on, affecting our mood. Something we all could do with more when those winter blues strike.
It is gratitude journaling, in particular, that is on the rise, with many psychologists using it as part of their therapy practices. Gratitude journaling is the practice of writing down things that you are grateful for each day. As simple as it may sound, it is proven to increase feelings of optimism, and even ‘rewires’ our brain to be more positive. In a recent study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies, participants who started gratitude journaling for just two weeks reported greater life satisfaction and decreased symptoms of depression.
Megan Hutchison is no stranger to journaling, with a business based on the practice, but never before has she seen such a huge demand for gratitude journals. Forget Me Not Journals (formerly called ‘She Said Yes’) was founded in 2015 and launched its first journal in 2016: the ‘little white book’ wedding planner. Since having had a family of her own, she launched journals for parents and grandparents too and late last year had a significant increase in requests for a gratitude or mental health journal, from both her customers and her physical stockists.
“Journaling has always been special to me, as it’s also a way I feel connected with my late mother and pass down memories from her to her grandchildren, as she wrote journals for me,” says the mother of two.
“Last year, we designed quite an innovative way to inspire other parents to write, with the journal prompts on beautiful gold foil stickers, instead of printed in the books. That really resonated with our customers, and our business grew hugely as a result, but it wasn’t long before our customers and social media followers began asking for the same style of journal for different themes – in particular, wellness and gratitude.
“It took a few months and a lot of research into journaling and the practices of gratitude and mindfulness, to create the journal, which has more than 100 journal prompts designed around past, present and future gratitude.”
Her first gratitude journal, ‘Note to Self’, has had an overwhelming success already and she’s seen a recent boom ahead of winter.
If you have wanted to start journaling, Megan has a few tips:
- Find a quiet space without distractions, somewhere comfortable that you like to be. Make it a positive experience; that might mean lighting a candle or having a cup of tea with you.
- Set a timer on your phone for 5, 15, or 25 minutes. Don’t pick up your phone until the timer goes off, even if you think you’ve run out of things to write.
- If you struggle to write paragraphs, start with listing things you are grateful for, in both your past and present. Once you’re comfortable with writing lists, try to develop those ideas with specific reasons why you are grateful for them, or how they have helped you.
- Let go of judgment or the idea or fear of anybody else reading it. Be honest with yourself and write whatever is on your mind.
- Set a daily reminder to journal. At a time when you can usually find a few minutes to yourself so that you can be consistent with your practice. For me, that’s when my children have gone to bed, but it could be first thing in the morning for you.
- Even if it’s just a list of things or some thoughts, I recommend sticking with it every day if you can, as the research shows that is when it can be the most powerful in terms of lifting mood and helping with anxiety
- Reward yourself for your journaling habit, just as you might with physical exercise. Journaling is an exercise in mental wellness, and it’s just as good for you as a workout or going for a walk.
“By making journaling a daily habit, you gain so much insight into your emotions and experiences and become much more resilient when faced with stress or adversity. This is something that has helped me through so many challenges, but which I’m sure all of us can benefit from, especially in winter.”
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