Journaling for Anxiety
Written by Melissa Scheichl, Social Worker, Psychotherapist
Feeling anxious? Have you tried journaling? Evidence-based research supports journaling as a great way to reduce anxiety and improve emotional regulation - aka FEEL BETTER!
Many of my clients who have taken up journaling share that it truly does work for them.
Why? How? Well, journaling can take us out of our emotional brain and puts us into our thinking brain, which reduces the saliency of our feelings. In simple terms, putting feelings into words can reduce anxiety.
Is Journaling Right for You?
Journaling is often recommended for anxiety—but if you’ve ever tried it and felt more overwhelmed afterward, you’re not alone. As a social worker and psychotherapist, I frequently hear clients say things like, “I tried journaling, but it just made my thoughts louder,” or “I don’t know if I’m doing it right.”
The truth is: journaling can be a powerful tool for anxiety—but only when it’s used intentionally and in a way that supports the nervous system rather than fueling rumination.
Let’s explore what the research says, why journaling helps some people more than others, and how to use it in a way that feels grounding, not exhausting.
What does the research say about journaling and anxiety?
Studies suggest journaling can:
Reduce physiological stress responses
Improve emotional regulation
Increase insight into thought patterns and triggers
Support meaning-making and values clarification
Importantly, journaling works best as an adjunct tool, not a replacement for therapy—especially for people with chronic anxiety, trauma histories, or high emotional sensitivity.
Why does writing help calm anxiety?
From a nervous system perspective, anxiety often lives in the body before it shows up in our thoughts. Journaling helps by:
Slowing the stress response
Naming emotions activates areas of the brain involved in regulation and reduces threat-based reactivity.Creating distance from anxious thoughts
When thoughts are on paper, they become something you can observe rather than something that feels all-consuming.Organizing internal chaos
Anxiety thrives in ambiguity. Writing introduces structure and clarity.
In therapy, we often say: what can be named can be worked with.
Why does journaling help some people—but not others?
This is one of the most important (and least talked about) questions.
Journaling becomes unhelpful when it:
Turns into repetitive venting without reflection
Reinforces reassurance-seeking
Encourages over-analysis or perfectionism
Lacks emotional containment
For people with trauma histories, journaling that dives too deeply or too quickly into distressing material can increase emotional flooding or dissociation.
This doesn’t mean journaling isn’t for you—it means how you journal matters.
How is therapeutic journaling different from “just writing things out”?
Therapeutic journaling is:
Intentional (there’s a purpose, not just a brain dump)
Time-limited (to prevent overwhelm)
Grounded in awareness of the nervous system
Reflective, not ruminative
In therapy, we often guide journaling toward:
Emotional awareness
Values and meaning
Self-compassion
Pattern recognition
Not toward reliving every worst-case scenario.
Can anxiety be pointing to something important?
From a therapeutic perspective, anxiety is not just a symptom to eliminate—it’s often a signal.
Anxiety frequently points to:
Something you care deeply about
An unmet need
A boundary that’s being crossed
A value that’s under threat
Journaling can help shift the question from “How do I get rid of this anxiety?” to “What might this anxiety be trying to tell me?”
That shift alone can reduce shame and increase self-understanding.
What are the most helpful journaling prompts for anxiety?
Some examples of therapist-informed prompts include:
What am I feeling in my body right now—and what does it need?
What is this anxiety trying to protect me from?
What feels uncertain—and what is actually within my control?
What matters to me in this situation?
Notice these prompts invite curiosity and compassion, not judgment or fixing.
How often should you journal for anxiety?
More is not better.
For most people:
5–10 minutes
2–4 times per week
With a clear start and stop
Consistency matters more than length. Journaling should leave you feeling slightly clearer or calmer, not drained.
What if journaling brings up strong emotions?
That’s a sign to pause—not push through.
Helpful steps include:
Grounding (feet on the floor, slow breathing)
Closing the journal and orienting to your surroundings
Doing something regulating afterward (movement, warmth, connection)
If journaling regularly leads to distress, it may be a sign that additional support would be helpful.
When journaling isn’t enough
Journaling is not a substitute for therapy—especially if anxiety is:
Interfering with daily functioning
Connected to trauma
Accompanied by panic, dissociation, or intrusive thoughts
In therapy, journaling becomes a guided process—integrated with regulation skills, insight, and support.
A gentle place to start
If you’re curious about journaling for anxiety but unsure where to begin, starting with structure can make all the difference.
👉 Download our Anxiety Journaling Workbook for prompts that support grounding, insight, and self-compassion—without overwhelming your nervous system.
And if you’d like support uncovering what’s at the root of your anxiety, you and your therapist can together to explore it in a way that feels safe and manageable. As with all interventions we want to use the tools that make us feel better not worse!
“Keeping a journal will absolutely change your life in ways you’ve never imagined.”
