Journaling to Reduce Anxiety and Pain
Shared by Dr. John Wertish
Over 19% of Americans suffer from anxiety. Even more prevalent after the COVID pandemic. As a Chiropractor, I help people with pain through movement but also look for ways to reduce anxiety, which can lead to pain. One of my favorite ways to lighten up a mood and get out of a funk is to journal about positive experiences that recently occurred in my life. My wife and I have our morning routine where we focus on development and personal growth, one of our favorite activities is to write a journal. As you write your mind relives those experiences and if it is a positive one, you will leave with a smile on your face. You can start by describing you last time you had no worries and were just enjoying the moment. Another would be the last time you spent time with loved ones or in your favorite community. One of my favorite activities is to relive my last beach vacation or a time when I was enjoying the outdoors and hunting with my family.
All it takes to change a mood is a pen and a piece of paper. Based on my experience, give yourself time to really think about a positive experience you want to write about. Do not stress and let the pen do the work while you relive the experience. Take 20 minutes next time you feel anxious and let journaling flip your funk.
Refere5nces
Smyth, Joshua M et al. “online Positive Affect Journaling in the Improvement of the mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: A preliminary Randomized control Trial” JMIR mental health vol. 5,4 e11290. 10 Dec. 2018, doi:102196/11290
Our Message
When you are looking for a Chiropractor near you that you can trust, choose one who will not only get rid of your back pain, neck pain, or headaches but who will also guide you to living a healthier lifestyle to keep you out of pain. At our McKinney location, near the corner of Eldorado Pkwy. and Stonebridge Dr., our Chiropractors will teach you what the research says about how and why we should eat a better diet, move more and have more positive thoughts. By improving these areas of our lives we can restore motion and decrease stress while staying out of pain!