With the ongoing pandemic and government measures weighing on daily life, research from the 1980s and 1990s highlights the proven benefits of journaling. Could this simple practice help us cope until the crisis passes?
In France, two periods of lockdown due to COVID-19 sparked widespread anxiety and stress. Confinement may even impair memory in unchanging environments. Measures like curfews, mask mandates, social distancing, and closures of shops and cultural venues have fostered a gloomy atmosphere, exacerbating economic woes and straining relationships, with rising divorce requests.
What if journaling offered a practical way to endure the pandemic? Psychologist James Pennebaker, a professor at the University of Texas, has extensively studied the benefits of expressive writing in works published in 1988 and 1994.
Journaling involves regularly recording thoughts and emotions, preserving personal history while promoting mental health and well-being, much like therapy. It fosters deeper understanding of fears, desires, and events, aiding emotional processing. In a pandemic, this approach is particularly valuable. Pennebaker's research shows it improves sleep, enhances social connections, reduces fatigue and common illnesses like colds, and—even for the unemployed—builds resilience to land a new job faster.
To begin: Choose your format—a structured daily log or free-form emotional reflections. Set a consistent frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly) and routine, always dating entries. Opt for pen-and-paper or digital—whatever suits you. The key is regular, honest expression of your experiences.
