Power in the Pen: Journaling to Cope and Conquer Fear, Stress, and Anxiety

Amidst the pitch of a noisy world, we also experience a hum of Heaven-to-heart communication. Our hearts talk frequently, but sometimes we don’t hear above the whir of life’s hurried pace. We ignore or desensitize ourselves to the messages, oblivious. That is, until tragedy erupts, or transition ensues.

Disruption jolts us into awareness, and we sequester, in stillness. Sometimes, this unplanned solitude is a disguised blessing. It resets our frequency, inviting us to listen to what the heart has been telling us all along.

Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed and be still. Selah. – Psalm 4:4 NASB

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What is your heart saying these days? Is it speaking of stress and anxiety that is stacking under the pressure of a frenzied life? Is it talking through present-day triggers, tethered to trauma from your past?

The unseen war in the spiritual realm plays out in the physical world. We observe this as broadcast and social media unfurl newsreels and feeds. Headlines and hashtags announce crisis, war, unrest, famine, and epidemic. From one season to another, troubles escalate as time ticks forward. In short, the earth is groaning for God’s children to demonstrate His glory in the earth.

We witness these challenges through the lens of our screens where we secure updates about the world beyond our doorstep. We are also inoculated with the concerns of our communities. We often carry those needs in the not-so-silent rhythms of our hearts. We sense the weight of the outside world raging, and we are touched by its tremor.

We experience elements that we must process with the Lord, even as we fight the good fight of faith. Jesus assured us that His abiding peace would preside within, amid turbulence and tribulation. When we welcome His Holy Spirit to lead and guide, He answers with solace and direction.

When we allow Him to be what He has promised, we don’t have to be overwhelmed with the troubles of this life. We can exercise our God-given authority as children, by speaking peace to quell storms. We can embrace this stillness with God that captures and commands rest, even when the surges continue. We are privileged to ride the storm with Him, trusting that we have anchored our foundation on the Rock, which is Christ.

Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. – Matthew 7:24-25, NIV

Embracing the Power of the Pen

Writing acts as a safe harbor to transfer emotions bottled within. The physical act of journaling safely stows thoughts and feelings into safe spaces, removing the power to corrode us from the inside out. Although the practice captures snapshots of life moments, documenting our journey encourages us to sort dreams, ideas, memories, thoughts, and feelings. Rereading and reflecting uncovers patterns and themes that reveal more of our soul’s story, as it unfolds.

Different kinds of journaling offer diverse benefits. Some embrace it as a practice to identify and bullet-point personal goals. Others engage in a practice for introspection, reflecting on areas of pain and trauma to further process with a therapist.

Journaling on an electronic device or app may track nutritional or movement choices, and monitor physiological data such as heart rate and blood pressure. Some use daily writing to capture and meditate on affirmations, and to offer daily gratitude.

My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. – Psalms 45:1, NKJV

The Benefits of Journaling

The act of journaling allows us to chronicle our emotions and experiences. Its benefits promote holistic health, for the internal as well as the external being. We can look to the Bible to gather numerous references on the power of the written word, as the Bible itself exemplifies the journaled heart of God.

In this respect, the Bible-as-journal extends God’s truth to all generations. We gather a picture of that through Scripture. It expresses the range of emotions and validates the importance of living out the temporally messy, yet eternally redeemed truth of our lives, with God.

For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations. – Psalm 100:5, NKJV

Physical Benefits

The act of writing unloads heaviness from our physical bodies. The body takes many cues from its external and internal environment, including that of the soul (mind, will, emotions, memory, imagination.) It often communicates its distress via a tradeoff of deficits: sleep, weight, exhaustion, appetite, and hair, to note a few.

Stress from the upheaval of transition or persistent inertia, needs a way of escape, whether it is related to negative elements or emerges from positive changes. Journaling eliminates the burden we place on ourselves, by offsetting a heightened adrenal response.

This flooding of hormones places us at risk for a sustained fight or flight response, which is known to negatively impact the body. They are intended for effectiveness under specific, said conditions, but their long-term release poses a detriment to body and soul.

Mental and Emotional Benefits

The pen has the power to answer fear by relieving stress and anxiety. Whether you keep a diary to account for activities, create lists, or as a follow-up to assess goals, writing generates mental space to organize your thoughts and align your actions with the vision you choose.

Additional benefits include a judgment-free zone to process thoughts and emotions in a secret place. Journaling enables you to work through internal matters and connect and commune with yourself. The privacy of your own head and heart space allows you to be aware of your own needs, with God, yourself, and with others before inviting another human into that realm.

Spiritual Benefits

Developing a journaling practice, even if it isn’t daily, offers benefits every time. It facilitates connection with God through creative expression. It can be words, but God isn’t limited to any of that. There may be pain you cannot articulate that is readily expressed through sketches, colors, or doodles.

However, when you do it, God invites you into a place to unveil your wounds. He wants you to remove the barriers from your mind about what journaling “should” look like and simply respond. He, as living water, refreshes. Through journaling you can discover an oasis where life’s deserts have drained your joy and depleted your strength.

Releasing the Power of the Pen

King David penned many psalms. His poetry and songs model engagement with God that is without religious and regimented filters. Jesus shared how to live in a relationship with God, even as He beckons for us to come to Him freely and boldly.

Writing in journals allows us a wide space to lament, praise, celebrate, offer thanksgiving, receive clarity, reset our peace, make requests, and so much more. We have a limitless God and the ways in which we can engage with Him are not bound or restricted. It is a matter of the degree to which we will allow ourselves to experience Him.

When we permit ourselves the freedom to engage our Father and commune with our hearts, we invite hope that welcomes God to show up in the answers. He speaks through the journaling process. Journaling represents a healthy coping strategy to ease the pain of residual trauma, recognize triggers and patterns, and highlight our limiting beliefs. We can generate possible strategies to conquer and annihilate fear, stress, and anxiety.

Next Steps

While journaling is an excellent resource and tool, there may be a greater need in your life to process beyond what you’ve written. Talking with a counselor is a viable place to continue an emotional healing journey. Journaling can be the launching point for your conversation with a therapist.

Engaging with a counselor can offer insight and direction to resolve issues that resurface as themes in your life. Sometimes, journaling helps you to recognize patterns and deeply rooted belief systems so that you can see and transform your obstacles into assets.

Our team is equipped and well-trained to offer you the kind of support that will help you to thrive. Whether you are currently journaling or are seeking to begin, partnering with a therapist can maximize and multiply those benefits over many areas of your life. Reach out to us today. We are looking forward to assisting you with any of your counseling needs.