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📝 Episode Cheatsheet: The Tangible Benefits of Journaling with Myah Revis
How Journaling Transforms Scattered Thoughts into Clarity and Growth
Brady Dowling
March 03, 2025
With Myah Revis, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
2 min read
Episode Snapshot
In this episode of The Adaptive Mind, Myah Revis, a doctoral student specializing in trauma psychology, discusses the therapeutic power of journaling. She talks about how expressive writing can aid mental clarity, promote neuroplasticity, and support behavior change. The conversation explores the interplay between journaling and traditional therapy, offering practical advice to get started journaling and to level up your journaling practice.
Key Insights
Expressive Outlet: Journaling serves as a powerful form of self-expression parallel to arts, music, or dance, helping individuals process and make sense of their thoughts and emotions.
Therapeutic Value: Structured journaling, guided by prompts, can aid in processing traumatic experiences and effect behavior changes by reshaping perspectives.
Neuroplasticity and Brain Engagement: Writing engages the brain differently than typing, offering a physically interactive way to externalize thoughts.
Customizable Practice: Journaling can be adapted to personal schedules and needs, allowing for flexibility in how and when it is practiced.
Supplementary to Therapy: While not a replacement, journaling complements traditional therapy, often being used as therapeutic homework.
Quotable Moments
"Writing is a form of expressing yourself, allowing you to get all your thoughts out and make sense of things."
"Journaling can be beneficial for people finding therapy daunting, allowing them to process thoughts in a comforting way."
Action Steps
Start Simple: Begin with a to-do list to relieve the mind from overwhelming thoughts and ease into regular journaling habits.
Explore Different Mediums: Try writing by hand first, as it engages the brain more deeply than typing, but find the method that works best for you (voice memo, typing, etc).
Deepen Your Reflection: When experienced with journaling, move beyond factual recounting of events to analyzing emotional impacts and personal insights. Consider feelings, goals, the past, present, and future.
Listen to the full episode:
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