The Medicine of Journaling: Why Putting Pen to Paper Heals More Than We Realize
- Dr. Howard A. Friedman MD, founder of HHOM LLC
- Nov 7, 2025
- 4 min read
11-02-2025
By Dr. Howard Friedman, M.D. | Veteran | U.S. Army Medical Corps | Internal Medicine | HHOM LLC
Opening Poem — “The Page That Listens”
The mind runs restless,
but the page waits still.
Words become anchors
for thoughts that spill.
In ink, the unseen
finally speaks.
Dr. Howard Friedman, M.D.
I’ve come to realize something simple but profound — writing heals me. Whether I’m working on a nexus letter, typing out a blog, or scribbling thoughts into my journal before bed, there is a quiet joy that comes with it. Writing gives shape to thoughts that would otherwise race through my mind and disappear. It slows me down. It anchors me. And lately, I’ve wondered — is there medicine in that?
Yes. There is.
This blog explores journaling not as a hobby, but as something with real mental, emotional, and even physical health benefits. Journaling isn’t just a habit — it is what I now call the medicine of journaling, because it treats stress, organizes thoughts, and gives the mind a place to heal instead of just endure.
Why Writing Works: The Mental and Emotional Benefits
Stress Reduction
Thoughts pass through our minds by the thousands each day—but when we write them down, they take form. That act alone lowers stress. Journaling allows you to vent, process, and sometimes even solve what’s weighing you down. It quiets the brain’s alarm system (the HPA axis) and signals safety.
Memory and Meaning
Writing imprints experience into memory. But it also does something more important—it makes meaning. Going back to older journal entries gives perspective. You see how far you've come. You see patterns. You understand yourself a little more.
Emotional Regulation
It's hard to manage what you don’t understand. When you write down what you're feeling—anger, grief, fear, gratitude—you’re no longer just reacting to emotions. You’re naming them, examining them, and deciding what to do next. That is emotional maturity in motion.
Self-Awareness and Purpose
Journaling is introspection in its purest form. Over time, your own handwriting reveals your beliefs, values, and questions of purpose. Some people go to therapy for this. Others find it in a quiet room with pen and paper.
Improved Mood
Journaling about gratitude and positive moments is clinically shown to lower stress hormones and improve mood. It literally shifts the nervous system from fight-or-flight to rest-and-heal.
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
When you write, you reflect. Reflection breaks problems into pieces. Suddenly, situations become solvable. Writing is thinking slowed down enough to understand.
Physical Health Benefits: More Than Just “Mental Health”
Science is catching up to what writers have known for centuries — the body listens when the mind speaks.
Lower inflammation and stress hormones
Journaling helps turn off the chronic stress response — reducing cortisol, inflammation, and overactivity of the immune system.
Lower blood pressure and heart rate
As the parasympathetic (“rest and restore”) nervous system switches on, cardiovascular strain decreases.
Improved sleep
Writing worries down before bed tells your brain, you don’t have to hold this anymore. The mind rests — and so does the body.
The medicine of journaling lies in its ability to calm the nervous system, slow the thoughts, and give the body permission to leave survival mode.
Other Benefits That Matter More Than We Admit
Creativity
Children live in imagination. Adults talk themselves out of it. But journaling can reopen that door — to ideas, stories, art, innovation.
Better Communication
The more you write, the more clearly you think — and the more clearly you speak.
Self-Confidence
Looking back on your own words — especially the moments you survived — builds quiet confidence. I’ve done hard things before. I can do them again.
A Final Thought
Journaling is not a cure-all. It won’t erase trauma, solve every problem, or replace professional help when it’s needed. But it is a tool — simple, quiet, always available — that can help the mind make peace, help the heart feel heard, and help the body begin to heal.
You don’t have to write well. You only have to write honestly.
Closing Poem — “Where Healing Begins”
Not every wound
needs a doctor’s hand
—some only need
a quiet page,
a pen,
and the courage
to tell the truth.
----Dr. Howard Friedman, M.D.
—Dr. Howard Friedman, M.D.
Board-Certified | Internal Medicine | Veteran | U.S. Army Medical Corps
Founder of Howard’s House of Medicine (HHOM LLC)
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What if I don’t know what to write about?
A: Start with honesty. Write exactly what you’re thinking — even if it’s, “I don’t know what to write right now.” You can begin with simple prompts:
• What am I feeling today?
• What’s weighing on my mind?
• What went well — or didn’t — this week?
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s presence.
Q: How often do I need to journal to see benefits?
A: You don’t have to write every day. Even journaling 2–3 times a week can reduce stress, improve mood, and increase mental clarity. Consistency matters more than frequency — creating a rhythm that feels natural rather than forced.
Q: Can journaling really help with physical health, or is it just emotional?
A: Yes — the benefits are measurable. Research shows journaling can lower cortisol (stress hormone), decrease blood pressure, improve immune function, and help with sleep. When stress leaves the mind, it often leaves the body too.
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