Are you looking for a journaling routine you can actually stick with? Something effective, yet simple. Contemplative and quick. Look no further, because values-based journaling is sure to become your latest mindfulness obsession in 2024!
Read this blog post to find out what it is, how to use it, & how it could change your life (umm, in as little as one sitting?!).
As a nurse, I have heard (& taught) that stress is horrible for you. It raises your blood pressure, speeds up aging, & it should be avoided at all costs. Then I started learning about Blue Zones through Dan Buettner’s work, & he talked about how stress can give us a continued sense of meaning even into old age. In Dr. Ayesha & Dean Sherzai’s book, The Alzheimer’s Solution, I learned about eustress: stress that positively challenges us, connects us to our purpose, & is actually good for us.
Huh?!
Years later I learned about a psychologist & Stanford professor named Dr. Kelly McGonigal.
Her research shows that stress is on a U-shaped curve: too little & you start to lose confidence in your abilities, too much & you get overwhelmed. However, if you reach that sweet Goldilocks middle, you flourish.
The goal is not to avoid all stress, but just reframe our relationships with it so we can work alongside it.
In her book, The Upside of Stress: Why Stress is Good for You, And How to Get Good at It,1 she talks about one method for reframing stress called Values-Based Journaling.
It’s so powerful that Dr. McGonigal deemed it to be “one of the most effective psychological interventions ever studied.” In the study, a group of students who had a ten-minute journaling session about their values saw results for months or years after.
Intrigued yet? 👀
What is Values-Based Journaling?
Values-based journaling is nothing more than reflecting on actions you took (or thinking about actions you’d like to take) & seeing how they connect to your values.
(Examples: I went to the gym because I care about my health. I called my mom because my family is important to me. I went to therapy because I value introspection & self-development. I consoled my friend because I value empathy.)
Why does it work?
We’ve probably all heard some iteration that we can’t control what happens to us but we can control how we respond. When we reflect on how stressful moments were actually a way for us to reconnect with our deeper purpose, we are able to find meaning in the hard times that help carry us through.
Think about staying up late writing a paper, but you knew it would be one step closer to graduating.
Or coming home tired from work but you choose to go to your niece’s soccer game, because you know it will mean the world to her.
Or navigating through a life-threatening diagnosis but offering to be a part of a research study so that others might benefit from new treatments.
Connecting these stressful times to a bigger life mission will help you keep moving forward, & values-based journaling will keep that mission front & center.
Real-Life Benefits
Some of the tangible benefits the practice can create include…
- Increased self-confidence.
- Increased empathy & a sense of connection.
- Decreased drinking & smoking.
- More likely to view hardship as temporary (rather than a sign of something wrong with them).
- It even creates an identity shift that Geoffrey Cohen & David Sherman termed as the narrative of personal adequacy: “People start to see themselves as the kind of person who overcomes difficulties,” & this creates a positive ripple effect throughout their lives.
Which of these could be beneficial for you???
How Do You Do It?
The first step is to get clear on your values. If you need help, check out my free core values assessment to get started. Pick one value to write about today.
Next, start journaling. Here are some questions to get you started.
- Why is that value important to you?
- What did you do today that displayed that value?
- If you’re facing hardship, how can you navigate it through the lens of that value? What other strengths do you have that can be an aid to you in this time?
When Should I Journal?
While study members saw benefits in one ten-minute journaling session, this would be a great journaling practice to incorporate into your daily habits.
Add it to part of your morning routine & think about the activities or attitudes that you want to prioritize that day (thinking about how important they are might make it easier to stick with them), orrrr you could think about the events on the day & reflect on them after-the-fact.
No matter when you do values-based journaling, this is an empowering mindfulness tool that can shift your perspective toward positivity.
Like the shores of your favorite beach, life is going to ebb & flow. There will be ups & downs, highs & lows. But if you can train yourself to focus on your values through intentionally reflecting, you will be able to find meaning through it all.
To learn more about this topic, I highly recommend Dr. McGonigal’s book. It changed my perspective on stress & you can buy your copy here.
- McGonigal, K. (2015). The upside of stress: Why stress is good for you, and how to get good at it. Penguin. ↩︎
