Keeping a Health Journal

An All Inclusive Method for Monitoring Personal Wellness

Aug 8, 2009 Colleen Boudreau

Maintaining an ongoing record of lifestyle habits and medical information can help women keep track of health changes and improve their own state of wellness

A health journal is a place to keep track of all kinds of health issues. It can be used by people who are dealing with issues relating to a specific medical diagnosis or impending diagnosis as well as by those who are simply interested in being mindful of their health in general.

Reasons to Keep a Health Journal

Keeping a health journal is exactly what it sounds like — a place to journal anything about ones health. It does not have to be used only after one has had an illness diagnosed. All women can benefit from keeping track of daily lifestyle habits for a few reasons:

Monitoring lifestyle habits can alert one to any potentially unhealthy habits that could lead to illnesses in the future.
A woman who monitors her lifestyle on a regular basis may be more apt to notice gradual or sudden changes in her health and possibly catch minor issues before they become more serious.
The simple act of keeping track of one's own health can inspire one to become more health conscious in other areas of their life.

Recording Health Information

Women dealing with specific illnesses are likely already aware of the information and symptoms they need to be monitoring. Otherwise healthy people can keep track of any number of health or lifestyle habits in their journal. Some examples of what to include in a health journal include;

Mood tracking — especially if there is a history of mood disorders in the family.
Eating habits.
Exercise habits.
Sleep cycles.
Energy levels.
Lists of important medical documentation such as health insurance policy numbers and contact numbers for health practitioners.
Family medical information such as allergies, sensitivities, past injuries or surgeries.

In their reference book Women's Encyclopedia of Health and Emotional Healing (Rodale Press, Inc., 1993) authors Denise Foley, Eileen Nechas and the Editors of Prevention Magazine refer to situations where keeping a diary is recommended by health professionals as part of a treatment or symptom management plan. These situations included;

Recording the date, time, intensity and duration of hot flashes in menopausal women.
Keeping track of symptoms such as mood and onset of menstruation as a diagnosis tool for severe PMS.
Counting calories and noting what food one eats as a tool for maintaining permanent weight loss.
Maintaining a record of anger episodes to include triggers, length and duration of each episode as part of a professional anger management program.

Creative Journaling

Creative journal keepers with a deeper interest in their own personal connection to specific health issues could consider keeping a more reflective and introspective form of health journal. This type of detailed journaling could include;

Exploring thoughts and feelings about the health issue in question.
Using mixed media to record ideas about one's personal state of wellbeing.
Researching family health trends from past generations.
Setting and tracking personal wellness goals.
Keeping track of medical trends or holistic developments in their field of interest.

The type of information included in a health journal will vary depending upon each woman's personal circumstances and preference. Women who recognize unhealthy habits developing are in a better position to take steps towards making healthy lifestyle changes. Being prompt about taking any concerns to a health care practitioner can help the practitioner catch something minor before it becomes serious.

The copyright of the article Keeping a Health Journal in Women’s Health is owned by Colleen Boudreau. Permission to republish Keeping a Health Journal in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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