Positive Affect Journaling As A Coping Mechanism in Teens

By: Aisha

Abstract

The report explores the effectiveness of positive affect journaling (PAJ) as a coping mechanism for managing mental illness in teens. It emphasizes the importance of healthy coping mechanisms and highlights journaling as a simple yet underutilized tool for managing psychological stress. It delves into the concept of emotion-focused coping and how PAJ encourages individuals to explore and express positive emotions to reframe their experiences and find meaning in past events. Furthermore, it discusses the clinical benefits of PAJ, citing studies that have found positive effects on various health outcomes in patients with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, as well as those diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The report also highlights the integration of positive psychology in modifying the original expressive writing approach, linking positive emotional dispositions to beneficial outcomes. Overall, this report provides valuable insights into the potential of PAJ as an effective coping mechanism for teens dealing with mental illness. 

Keywords: Positive affect journalling, healthy coping mechanism, managing emotions

Positive Affect Journaling As A Coping Mechanism

Living a healthy and productive life with mental illness is possible, but requires healthy outlets and coping mechanisms. Journaling happens to be one of the most therapist/counselor-recommended, simplest, and most effective coping mechanisms for managing a mental illness. However, it’s also one of the most underutilized tools. 

Coping is the use of one or various types of mechanisms that are intended to reduce psychological stress. While young children may look to their parents for support, adolescents begin soliciting the support of their peers or themselves, making positive affect journaling PAJ a valuable coping mechanism to navigate their emotional experiences and challenges. 

There is a never-ending flow of thoughts that runs through the minds of humans in general, which can be especially overwhelming for those with mental illness. Life is a cycle of events, ideas, stirs of information, surprises, and frustrations. And without a proper way to release negative emotions, accumulated thoughts, and feelings can lead to emotional turmoil. Journaling may not solve the problem, but it does free up mental space and allow you to track symptoms, understand triggers, and see patterns. It can also help those with mental illness pinpoint exactly what makes them feel better, so they can continue those actions. 

Emotion-focused Coping Style

Positive affect journaling involves focusing on reducing the emotional impact of a stressor rather than directly addressing the problem itself. It encourages individuals to explore and express positive emotions and aspects of their lives, helping them to reframe their experiences and find meaning and benefit in past events. This approach aims to promote emotional well-being and resilience without necessarily delving into problem-solving or directly confronting the stressor. 

In other words, the aim is to regulate one’s emotional distress by merely altering the emotional response, which may not address the actual stressor. Some assert that emotion-focused coping can be dangerous as it is affiliated with mental health problems through behavioral problems. 

On the other hand, it may be beneficial to reduce the impact of stressors, which could be more beneficial in the long run for things we do not have the power to change. 

Relative to internet-based therapeutic or counseling interventions, positive affect journaling (PAJ), a simple intervention that is cost-efficient and easily disseminated to patients, is becoming increasingly popular. PAJ is a modified version of the traditional expressive writing

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paradigm wherein the participants write about a traumatic experience for approximately 15- to 20-minute intervals, often across a period of 3 to 5 days. Reviews of expressive writing suggested that it was modestly effective in improving several physical and mental health outcomes.

Clinical Benefits of Positive Affect Journaling

Several studies have found clinical benefits tied to expressive writing in patients with autoimmune and inflammatory conditions such as arthritic conditions, lupus, asthma, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, and HIV or AIDS. In addition, expressive writing has been found to have beneficial effects on blood pressure and several health-relevant outcomes following the experience of a heart attack, such as reduced numbers of medical appointments and prescriptions, increased self-care behaviors, improved cardiac symptoms, and improved health-related quality of life. Expressive writing has also been associated with small but consistent improvements in well-being among diverse cancer groups—especially breast, renal, and prostate cancer patients. Finally, a relatively small study of 40 people diagnosed with major depressive disorder found that those writing about their deepest thoughts and feelings related to emotional events had significant reductions in depression immediately after writing and over 1 month thereafter.

Several efforts have been made to modify the original expressive writing approach to be better suited for use across several contexts and populations. One stream of this process is reflected in the integration of positive psychology, a large and growing area of research that has linked positive psychological and emotional dispositions and states of being (eg, optimism, happiness, subjective well-being, and positive affect) to various beneficial outcomes. Some of the reported benefits of these positive dispositions include fewer physical symptoms, faster wound healing, healthier functioning biological processes (eg, neuroendocrine, inflammatory, and cardiovascular activity) better interpersonal relationships, higher quality of life, increased longevity, and decreased morbidity. As such, the expressive writing paradigm has been adapted to have participants write about positive aspects of their lives and themselves (eg, making meaning out of or finding benefit in past experiences and focusing on positive aspects of one’s self) under the notion that this would yield similar benefits to those observed in the positive psychology literature. As a whole, we refer to this array of positive-focused writing approaches as PAJ. 

Emotional Regulation and Processing

Journaling engages various regions of the brain that are responsible for emotional regulation and processing. When you put your thoughts and emotions into words, the prefrontal cortex, the area associated with higher-order thinking and decision-making, becomes activated.

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This engagement helps you gain a sense of control over your emotions and promotes emotional regulation. 

Additionally, the neuroscience behind journaling activates the amygdala, the brain’s emotional center. The amygdala plays a crucial role in processing emotions, particularly fear and stress. By writing about your experiences and emotions, you can reduce the amygdala’s response, leading to a decreased intensity of negative emotions. 

Neuroscience Behind Journaling

Self-reflection and Insight

Journaling facilitates self-reflection, which involves introspection and self-awareness. When you engage in reflective writing, the default mode network (DMN) of your brain becomes active. The DMN is a network of brain regions involved in introspection, self-referential thinking, and memory consolidation. 

Through the activation of the DMN, journaling allows you to access and process memories, thoughts, and emotions associated with past experiences. This process leads to a deeper understanding of yourself and your growth journey. By reflecting on your thoughts and behaviors, you gain insights into your values, beliefs, and perspective.

Cognition Problem Solving

Writing about your thoughts and experiences stimulates cognitive processing and problem-solving abilities are a few parts of the fascinating neuroscience behind journaling. The act of organizing your thoughts into coherent sentences and paragraphs engages the dorsolateral 

prefrontal cortex, responsible for executive functions like planning, decision-making, and problem-solving. 

Journaling also enhances critical thinking by encouraging you to analyze situations, evaluate different perspectives, and develop new insights. This process activates the lateral prefrontal cortex, which supports analytical thinking and cognitive flexibility. 

Memory Consolidation and Integration

When you journal, you engage in a process called memory consolidation. This process involves transferring information from short-term memory to long-term memory. By documenting your experiences and thoughts, you strengthen the neural connections associated with those memories, making them more accessible for future recall. 

Moreover, journaling promotes the integration of information from different brain regions. When you write about an experience or a concept, you activate multiple sensory and

cognitive areas of the brain. This integration helps connect new information with existing knowledge, fostering a deeper understanding and retention of the subject matter.

Stress Reduction and Relaxation

Journaling has been linked to stress reduction and relaxation. When you write about stressful or traumatic experiences, the brain’s arousal system, including the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, becomes less activated. This leads to a decrease in stress hormone levels, such as cortisol, resulting in a state of calmness and relaxation. 

Additionally, journaling activates the parasympathetic nervous system, often referred to as the “rest and digest” response. This activation counters the effects of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the “fight-or-flight” response. By engaging the parasympathetic system, journaling helps regulate heart rate, blood pressure, and overall physiology.

Incorporating Journaling

To thoroughly benefit from journaling, it is necessary to be completely honest and transparent with yourself and consistent with the practice. It is also helpful to be specific in your entries and make the most of this transformative practice. 

● Set aside dedicated time: Carve out a specific time each day or week for journaling. Consistency is key to reap the full benefits. 

● Write freely and without judgment: Allow yourself to write openly and honestly. Remember, there are no right or wrong thoughts or emotions when it comes to journaling. 

● Experiment with different styles: Explore different journaling styles, such as stream-of-consciousness writing, bullet journaling, or guided prompts. Find what resonates with you and adapt it to your needs. 

● Reflect and review: Take the time to review your journal entries periodically. This helps you gain deeper insights, track your progress, and identify patterns in your thoughts and behaviors. 

● Practice gratitude: Consider incorporating gratitude journaling into your routine. This involves writing down things you are grateful for, which has been shown to enhance well-being and positive emotions.

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You can also format certain questions if you are just attempting to process your day, a specific way that you are feeling or an ongoing situation. There is no right way to go about journaling, so you should do whatever works best for you. 

By putting these thoughts onto paper, life can begin to feel more manageable for those who struggle; it can provide understanding in the face of uncertainty. It is the pessimistic and negative thoughts that often surface for those with mental illness.

Conclusion

In conclusion, positive affect journaling is a valuable coping mechanism for managing mental illness in teens. It helps individuals navigate emotional experiences, track symptoms, and Studiesmotional well-being. LoStudies have shown that expressive writing, including positive affect journaling, has clinical benefits for various health conditions. Journaling is a powerful practice that engages various brain regions involved in emotional regulation, self-reflection, cognition, and memory.

References

Millacci, T. S. (2017, October 28). Healthy coping: 24 mechanisms & skills for positive coping. Positive Psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/coping/ 

Recal Team. (2023, August 18). Understanding the neuroscience behind journaling: How it impacts your brain and well-being. Recal Travel.