Mood

Ever wonder what professional athletes are doing to stay mentally strong?

Journaling.

According to Washington Post sports reporter Adam Kilgore, more and more NFL players are turning to journaling to deal with the mental stress of the game.

Once seen as something mostly done by women, journaling is now gaining ground as a powerful mental health tool — for everyone.

Here’s why it works:

 Psychologists say that when you write about your feelings, you’re literally offloading your stress onto paper.

Once it’s out of your head and on the page, it’s much easier to stop dwelling on it.

But the benefits aren’t just emotional — they’re physical too.

 A study from the University of Texas found that people who journal regularly:

 Visit the doctor less

 Have more immune cells

 Show reduced blood pressure

That’s because journaling helps lower stress, which has a ripple effect throughout your entire body.

Want to take it further?

End each journal entry with this simple line:

“From this I have learned…”

That one step helps you process tough experiences and move forward with clarity.

And remember — your journal doesn’t have to focus only on struggles.

You can use it to write down:

    Things you’re grateful for

    Compliments you’ve received

    Small wins from your day

And when you’re feeling low, you can flip back through those pages for an instant mood boost.

The takeaway:

Journaling is more than just writing — it’s therapy, reflection, and healing, all in one notebook.

Even if you’re feeling completely overwhelmed, you can train your brain to bounce back! That’s according to Professor Judith Moskowitz from Northwestern University, who teaches resilience-building strategies to students of all ages.

And when students finish her course, they have less anxiety and depression, fewer sleep problems, they feel less isolated and generally feel more positive. So what are the skills?

·      First, focus on the beauty that surrounds you. Even in an area completely paved with concrete, you can probably find a dandelion poking up through a crack.  When you pause to appreciate small moments of beauty, your brain responds with a more positive mood.

·      Then there’s positive reappraisal – or looking for the silver lining. Let’s say you have to work late. You can feel gratitude for the security of being employed. It’s not about denying stress – it’s about finding something meaningful inside it.

·      The class also teaches about personal strengths. Think about what you’re good at. Are you a good listener? Empathetic? Detail-oriented? Focusing on your personal strengths builds confidence and stability — especially in hard times.

And one of the most powerful outcomes of Professor Moskowitz’s class was an increase in participants’ sense of self-efficacy……Which means their belief in themselves to set a goal and accomplish it, improved.