Journaling at Work to Boost Employee Mental Wellness

At a time when many employees are feeling burnt-out and exhausted at work, employers in all industries should be considering how they can make improvements to employees’ well-being. Employee well-being is the notion that employee’s mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health matters for the overall well-being of a company. If employee’s are feeling drained, overworked, and unmotivated - that affects a company’s output, culture, and employee experience.

Most senior leaders get it and are on board to make positive changes. The Future Workplace 2021 HR Sentiment survey found that 68% of senior HR leaders (of which 40% were CHROs) rated employee well-being and mental health as a top priority (Forbes). Accordingly, there are a variety of improvements some employers are making including: giving workers more control over how they work, offering more flexibility, and providing employees a greater opportunity to contribute their voice to an organization’s culture (Harvard Business Review).

What if another improvement surrounding employee mental well-being and mental health included: encouraging employees to journal at work?

Journaling is a powerful tool. Encouraging employees to jot down their thoughts, feelings, and frustrations helps give them space to process and to reflect on what’s gone right and what  wrong throughout their work week.

Many studies on journaling show a variety of possible health benefits including:

• Reducing stress
• Identifying and tracking goals
• Achieving those goals
• Tracking problems so you can recognize triggers
• Finding inspiration
• Improving self-confidence
• Overcoming fears
• Identifying and addressing negative thoughts and behaviors
• Starting a habit of using self-talk and creating mantras (Talkspace)