Fear and anxiety can be overwhelming and debilitating, affecting all aspects of our lives.

However, journaling can be a powerful tool for managing these emotions and releasing them in a healthy way; bringing our mind and body at ease. By setting aside a few minutes to document and reflect on our fears and anxieties, we can better understand them. The exercise could ultimately help  us to find ways to cope with and overcome them. 

When you find yourself getting overwhelmed and lost in your thoughts, try these exercises to regain focus and relaxation. 

Write Your Blessings

An effective way to start your day is to dedicate 5-10 minutes in the morning to writing about things you are grateful for, no matter how insignificant they may seem. This practice of gratitude and thankfulness can significantly impact your mental health, elevating your mood and making you feel more content. Take the time to fully immerse yourself in your writing and you will feel a release of tension.

Write Your Worries and Fears

One of the most useful journaling exercises to improve your mental health is writing down your worries and fears, whether in a journal, or on a scrap piece of paper you find on your kitchen countertop. Write down all the things that are bothering you, things that are stressing you out on a regular basis and things that are keeping you away from happiness. Once you’ve written them all down, move on to the next exercise and keep calm. Try to now let your worries carry you away. 

Challenge Your Worries and Fears

Challenge your assumptions and question the authenticity of your concerns and fears. Examine each one and look at it through different angles and perspectives. Critique each thought and debate with yourself. Some of the questions you may ask can be: 

“How likely is something like this to happen?”

 “Are you sure you won’t be able to handle the situation if something like this happens?”

 “How do you know this will happen, has it happened to you before?”

Through challenging your worries and fears and being critical of your own thoughts, you can gain new perspectives and understand that many of these thoughts circling in your mind are superficial. 

Write Your Accomplishments

One way to help manage anxiety and depression is to list all the things you accomplished during the day, whether big or small. These accomplishments can be simple, positive actions you took throughout the day that improved your own or someone else’s life.  Think of all the ways or things you’ve done that made yourself proud and jot them down in your journal. Keep in mind that, no matter how big or small they are, they are your accomplishments, so be proud! 

Describe Your Perfect Day

What would a perfect day look like to you? It has to be more than rainbows and unicorns. What would you like to do with complete control over your schedule? Once you’ve made a list, pick one item and incorporate it into your day today. 

Once anxious thoughts enter our minds, it’s often hard to get out of the zone. It almost feels as though you are stuck in a never-ending spiral of negative thoughts. Eventually, we become stressed out of our minds, and our anxiety level is through the roof. Journaling can help gain control over uncontrollable thought patterns by providing stress relief. As simple as it sounds, it is one of the best tools you can employ to help with anxiety and depression issues. It is an easy habit to pick up and doesn’t require you to spend a significant amount of money. All it takes is a few minutes of your time and honesty. So if there are notebooks lying around the room, it’s time to put them to good use and try out these exercises to release your fear and anxiety.