Journaling has become one of those things everyone swears by, right up there with matcha, Pilates, and “healing girl era” Pinterest boards. But if you’ve ever tried it and stared at a blank page thinking, Why am I suddenly the least introspective person alive?, you’re not alone. Most people assume journaling only works if you’re poetic, consistent, or have perfect handwriting. But the science behind it says the complete opposite: the messy, chaotic, unedited kind of journaling is actually the most effective.
The reason comes down to how the brain processes emotion. When you write, even if you’re rambling or your entry looks like a grocery list, you’re engaging in something psychologists call affect labeling, the simple act of putting feelings into words. Studies show this process reduces the intensity of negative emotions and calms the amygdala, the brain region responsible for stress responses. In one study, affect labeling significantly diminished amygdala activity compared to control conditions. It’s basically your brain going, “Oh, we’re naming this? Cool, I can chill now.”
This is also why expressive writing and journaling research is so strong. For example, a 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis found journaling is a “low-cost, low-side-effect therapy” that can help manage common mental-health symptoms like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. People who journaled showed better emotional processing, improved mood, and reduced distress, and yes, these benefits held even when the writing was less than perfect.
More recent research backs it up. A 2023 study of “augmented” expressive writing found that engagement matters: the more someone stayed with it, even if imperfect, the more benefit they got. So the “I’m bad at this” thing? Science does not care. The action matters more than the polish.
Part of why journaling works, especially the imperfect kind, is that it forces you to slow down your thoughts. When you’re spiraling or overthinking, your brain is moving faster than you can consciously process. Writing externalizes that chaos. Suddenly the thoughts aren’t swirling around in your head; they’re on paper (or screen), where you can see them for what they really are: thoughts, not predictions. This act alone helps reduce rumination and create clarity. In fact, a 2023 study found that combining affect labeling with reappraisal in the brain improved emotional regulation more effectively than reappraisal alone. ScienceDirect
And here’s the part most people don’t realize: your journal doesn’t need to be deep. You don’t need a page full of insights. You don’t need to uncover childhood trauma every time you pick up a pen. You don’t even need to write full sentences. Your entry can literally be:
- “I’m stressed.”
- “I don’t know what I’m feeling.”
- “Today sucked.”
- “I need to stop doom-scrolling.”
It still works because the benefit is the expression, not the aesthetics.
Journaling also helps you notice patterns, not in a therapist-level analytical way, but in the sense of “oh, I’ve written about this three times in a row, maybe I should pay attention to it.” This type of awareness is linked to emotional regulation and better decision-making. A 2024 paper on creative expression linked practices like journaling with cognitive, emotional, physical, and social well-being.
But one of the biggest reasons people feel like they’re “bad” at journaling is because the online version of it is unrealistic. Social media turns journaling into a performance: beautiful spreads, calligraphy, perfect layouts, and long aesthetic paragraphs. The reality? Your journaling will look nothing like that, and it shouldn’t. Research emphasizes that reduced inhibition (i.e., writing without worrying) is what makes expressive writing therapeutic.
So if you’ve been wanting to journal but feel intimidated, here’s the truth: you’re probably already good at it. Write in your Notes app, type a rant on your laptop, scribble in a beat-up notebook, or dump thoughts in short bullets. There is no “right” way. Your journal doesn’t need to be coherent, insightful, or consistent. It just needs to be honest.
Messy counts. Short counts. Barely-makes-sense counts.