With the downfall of the economy, many Americans are stressed out right now. This is why it’s time to learn some ways to help you de-stress. Read to find out how journaling can help you lower anxiety in your life.

How Journaling Lowers Stress

Journaling lowers stress because it helps you unload your brain onto paper rather than keep it in your head, in which case, you just mull over for days. When you sit down to write out what is bothering you and all of the things that you have to do that make you feel overwhelmed, you start to pull mismatched pieces of information from your brain and collaborate it so it makes better sense.

Have you ever sat on a problem for days, not knowing how you were going to deal with it? It’s because when you are stressed, your emotions cloud your reasoning and problem solving ability. However, when you write things down such as in journaling, you are able to separate your emotions from the concrete facts of your problem. You gain a new perspective on the situation and end up finding new ways to deal with it.

Your Stress Relief Exercise

Don’t wait to do this exercise later, because chances are, you won’t ever do it. So right now, grab a piece of paper and pen. Start writing down every single thought that comes to your mind, no matter how foolish or irrelevant you think it is to your current stress. Write until you have absolutely nothing left to write about. Don’t think about it too much, just write.

Now take a look at what you’ve written. Cross out all the things that are irrelevant to your situation. Then see what your true problems are and make a list of them. Take that list and start to tackle each situation separately. Write out a plan of action for each situation. If you can’t think of what to do, skip it and come back to it later.

Once you do this, you will most likely feel like a large weight has been lifted off your shoulders and feel less stressed!

(Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jefield/1119389/)