Posted 2:10 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, 2026
A creative outlet for emotional well-being
“Junk journaling”, a recent trend we've discussed before, uses trash and mementos to create art and brings new meaning to otherwise "useless" objects. As January's article highlighted, the combination of doing hands-on art and journaling has been shown to be a creative outlet that can reduce stress and enhance emotional regulation (Wilson, 2025). Let's dig a little deeper!
Unlike traditional scrapbooks and journals, junk journaling does not follow any type of structure or set of rules. It allows the creator to develop whatever they want, however they want. Junk journaling is not about the final product, but rather the process of creating art and how it makes the creator feel. Junk journaling should be used for self-expression, self-confidence, and a path to find joy (Wilson, 2025).
The physical creation of a junk journal serves as a mood booster, but so can reflecting on past creations. A junk journal is like a time capsule in a way; it holds memories and represents an important time in your life. The process of collecting items to use in your journal is also a really great way to practice gratitude in your everyday life. Collecting small items can help you notice how much there is to be thankful for! Doing some junk journaling also encourages the creator to be present- creating a journal entry requires focus and reflection, and it also makes the creator step away from the outside world, specifically social media and screens in general (Estrada, 2025). This disconnection from screens and social media is just another reason junk journaling can be so beneficial for mental health.
Keeping things personal
This brings me to my own personal experience with junk journaling and how beneficial it has been to my mental health, and specifically as part of my relationship with screens and social media. I first started junk journaling because I wanted a place to display all of my little objects and memories rather than just keeping them in a box, and I wanted to use junk journaling as a way to reduce stress and anxiety. While junk journaling has been a great way to display these random objects and reduce my anxiety, the biggest impact that junk journaling has had on my life and mental health is how much my screen time has gone down. I’ve realized that when I am working on an entry in my journal, I have no urge to pick up my phone and scroll. I will spend an hour or two without looking at my phone once, and the best part is that I’m not even TRYING to not be on my phone.
Overall, junk journaling can be a great way to reduce stress and anxiety, create a time capsule filled with memories, and it serves as an outlet to disconnect from our screens and social media. I would encourage everyone to try, you just might be surprised with the number of benefits you’ll see!
Declyn Tracy, Peer Health Advocate