Dr Rangan Chatterjee explains how writing a journal can ‘change people's lives’

Virgin Radio

5 Jan 2024, 15:16

Dr Rangan Chatterjee visited Virgin Radio to speak about how writing a journal can help give you a "greater sense of control on your life".

The doctor joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with cinch to discuss his Three Question Journal, which prompts readers to answer three questions in the morning and three in the evening as a way of checking in on ourselves. 

Speaking to Chris about visualising how you want to be in the world, Rangan explained: “Tiger Woods used to say this. He would be in bed the night before a major round, literally playing every hole. He's like, ‘On the first I'm going to draw it, I'm going to do a little cut into the green’. And when he's actually playing the next day. He's already played the hole. And so, if you rehearse in the morning, ‘I want to show my family the quality of compassion today’, you're much more likely to do it. 

“Now why does that matter when it comes to health? Why it matters is because a lot of the behaviours that people are trying to cut down, let's say sugar, alcohol, scrolling on Instagram, whatever it might be, they are downstream from how we feel about ourselves. So if you have been short with your children when they come back from school, because you're stressed out with your work, you don't feel good in yourself. Afterwards, you know you shouldn't have done that. You didn't want to be that father or that mother. And what happens then, when the kids are in bed, you're going to need to sooth that emotional stress with sugar, or an extra glass of wine, or whatever it might be.”

The doctor, who hosts the most listened-to health podcast in the UK and Europe, Feel Better, Live More, told Chris: “If you behave with the quality of patience all day, you're going to need less of these what I previously called ‘junk happiness habits’, to actually sooth that emotional stress. That's why this stuff is really, really important. 

“We’re often using those things to fill a hole in our hearts. I think the elephant in the room when it comes to health advice, it's not about ‘what?’ it's about ‘why?’ Most people know the basics of a healthy diet. Why is it though, that so many of us are stuck in front of the television at 9.30 in the evening, with a box of Quality Street? It's not because we're physically hungry, it's because we're emotionally hungry. And what journaling does - and meditation does a very similar thing, to be fair - it's something that allows you to step outside of your life, to reflect on your life. You make better decisions, you feel a greater sense of control on your life when you journal regularly.”

The doctor added: “People who have a sense of control over their lives are happier, healthier, they earn more money, they get more promotions, they have better social relationships. And so, anything you can do to give yourself that sense of control is really important."

Speaking more about his six questions, he said: “The reason the first morning question is, ‘What is one thing you deeply appreciate about your life?’ and why the first evening question is, ‘What went well today?’ is because, let's think about the morning. Let's just imagine two different mornings. Imagine you get up and you're immediately on Instagram and then the news feed, and you're seeing what's going on in the world. What is coming into your mind?

“Psychologists say that we take in about nine bits of negative information for every one bit of positive information. So, if you start the day watching the news, you are literally feeding your brain with negativity. Of course you're going to be more short in your relationships. Of course you're going to consume more sugar. Of course you're going to be more negative about the state of the world.”

He continued: “But if you say, ‘What is one thing I deeply appreciate about my life?’, whatever it might be… the science on gratitude shows us that it reduces stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms and increases happiness. But you start off the day focusing on what you have, rather than what you lack. And that will start to change everything. So, I honestly believe that writing this journal will change people's lives. It will help them to stay on track with whatever goals they have this year.”

The Three Question Journal is available now from intelligentchange.com.

For more great interviews listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with cinch weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio, or catch up on-demand here.