Diabetes.org | Mental Health | Shield Health Insurance

Journaling has been recommended for years as a way to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression—but mood journals are unique.

Unlike regular journals, which are usually meant for chronicling your day-to-day life, mood journals are a place to focus specifically on your feelings and emotions. They’ve become increasingly popular, as apps and online mood trackers have emerged on the Internet. But they are more than just a trend: Research shows they can be effective tools to help people manage chronic health conditions.

A study published in the journal JIMR Mental Health looked at 70 adults with various medical symptoms who also experienced anxiety. Participants were asked to keep a web-based journal for 15 minutes a day, three days a week, for 12 weeks. Those who did so reported less stress and better moods. People with diabetes are often bothered or stressed out by experiences or challenges in our lives, and this can crowd out or displace positive experiences, thoughts and reflection. Journaling allows you to refocus on more positive topics, such as good experiences or strong relationships. That, in turn, can tamp down stress hormones that affect overall health.

A landmark study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology found that people who wrote about past traumatic experiences had lower blood pressure and heart rates, as well as increases in T-cells, which help fight disease, compared with those who wrote about superficial things.

Mental Health Feelings to the Forefront

A mood journal gives you a place to release thoughts and feelings that you may not be acknowledging. For many, the problem with our emotions is not the emotions that we have but the fact that we don’t know how to express them. For example, have you ever been frustrated when you couldn’t find the right blood glucose test strips or another diabetes supply you need at your local pharmacy and noticed your blood glucose go up along with your anxiety?

It’s not surprising. As levels of stress hormones such as epinephrine (adrenaline) rise, more glucose is released from the liver. But at the same time, cortisol levels rise, which causes body tissue (both muscle and fat) to be less sensitive to insulin. The result: more glucose in your bloodstream.

The good news is that lowered stress can lead to other health benefits. When you feel better about yourself, you’re more likely to stick to healthy habits, such as getting enough sleep and regular physical activity.

Writing down your thoughts may also help you break not-so-healthy patterns. Say, for instance, potato chips have become your go-to snack. Jot some notes about how you’re feeling and include what happened right before. You may realize that you got into an argument with someone or were late to a meeting and were so upset from those events that you turned to comfort food. Catching yourself at the time and actually writing down your feelings can give you the information you need to understand your motivation and make a different choice.