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- Anxiety is managed differently from person to person, and as such, coping mechanisms can also widely vary.
- Journaling has been scientifically suggested to aid in anxiety management, and guided journals catered specifically to anxiety can serve as an excellent place for anyone to start.
- We spoke to Dr. Rebecca Mannis, a learning specialist who holds a PhD in developmental psychology, for insight into the importance of anxiety journals, how to begin journaling, and what to keep in mind while deciding on which coping mechanisms are best for you.
- This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Jeff Ditzell, D.O., with a private practice in New York City.
Editor's note: Although journaling can be a beneficial coping mechanism, it is not comparable to professional care.
Coping with anxiety is something that looks different for everyone. Some try to reframe the uncertainty they're feeling in an effort to reduce stress, while others limit the media they consume, take up exercising, or reach out to friends and family for support.
But there's no one-size-fits-all approach to coping. What works for one person may very likely not work for the next. With roughly a third of the U.S. population showing signs of clinical anxiety or depression, the need for healthy coping mechanisms and proper self-care is substantial. This has become a significant necessity in my own life as I work to adapt to a world rocked by the COVID-19 pandemic, a continuously unsettling news cycle, and the challenges of everyday life.
As a particularly anxious writer, I decided to turn to guided journals, and they've been a wonderfully healthy strategy I come back to time and again. For me, the guided prompts create space for creativity within catharsis, while the tone — which reads as a balance of kindness and authenticity when well-crafted — is encouraging and validating. Guided journal prompts aid with anything from processing trauma to simply providing a space to scribble, all within a safe environment that's entirely controlled by the writer.
The benefits of journaling can serve as an excellent distraction from the outside world, learning specialist and psychologist, Dr. Rebecca Mannis, told Insider. She calls it "a productive use of worry time" that acts as a means of "developing an action plan for activation."
Journaling can be an extremely helpful tool in identifying the specific why that sits behind anxious thoughts, too. Once the root of your anxiety is identified, a journal aids in increasing metacognition and self-awareness. Essentially, journaling is able to provide a time and space to contain feelings that are associated with anxious thoughts, thus reducing those manifestations into actions.
Though journaling looks different from person to person, Dr. Mannis suggests that even just beginning the process can often be the most challenging part of the experience. She recommends picking a specific time, place, and purpose, and sticking to that routine as the process develops and becomes more individualized. Since different journals evoke different pros and cons depending on the user and the material, Dr. Mannis urges beginners to find a journal that feels relatable to them.
Self-care and self-compassion are also key players in the journaling process, and everyone from beginners and experienced journalers alike is encouraged to be kind and patient with themselves as they express their thoughts.
It's also worth pointing out that while journaling can be effective, managing anxiety is far from a standardized experience and other coping mechanisms can often be more beneficial. When deciding on a journal — and deciding on coping mechanisms at large — Dr. Mannis recommends focusing on what she refers to as T.L.C.: Temperament, learning, and context. Potential journalers' understanding of who they are and what they'd like to accomplish from the experience can provide a sense of self and purpose when approaching the process.
When testing and researching the 12 journals featured on our list, I made sure to include those that were either written or reviewed by experts. However, keep in mind that guided journals are not supplemental to professional care. Additional resources can be found in Insider's guide on anxiety.
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