Across campus, stress levels seem to be rising as the leaves are falling. While meeting deadlines and getting done with assignments are important, it is also incredibly important not to forget to check in on yourself and your mental health during your busy days.
Something that has really helped me my first semester of college has been journaling. If you are like me, it can be difficult to sit and write about how you are feeling with no direction; having a few set prompts has really helped me to enjoy journaling without the pressure of not knowing what to write about. Taking a few minutes, a couple times a week to check in with yourself and your mental health can be grounding when everything else seems to be piling up. Over the past few months or so, I’ve been jotting down prompts I’ve come across to help me begin to journal.
Here are five journal prompts to get you started and ground you when you’re feeling overwhelmed:
Describe a time you were afraid, but everything turned out better than expected.
It is normal to be anxious or even scared when you feel like you have more work than you can handle, or you are facing a big change. Taking the time to think about other moments when you have felt like this and have overcome it, can help you relieve stress and see these challenges in a new light.
Explore an opinion that you have held in the past but have recently questioned or changed. What led you to that change?
College is a time to learn more about yourself and the world around you! Even if the workload feels too overwhelming, there are still a lot of new opportunities and freedoms open to you. Think about how this freedom is showing you new perspectives.
What is something I need to let go of? Why am I holding onto it?
Sometimes taking the time to recognize our feelings helps us to let go of them. Knowing and understanding how you’re feeling and why you’re feeling it can be very freeing and help you begin to feel better.
What does self-care mean to you? How do you practice it in your daily life?
Self-care is such an important part of our lives, but it is easy to forget about taking care of yourself when school work is your top priority. Think about the little things you do each day to have some me-time and take care of what you need, whether that be skin care, working out, or journaling!
What’s your way of showing someone you love them?
It can be difficult to be away from your loved ones while you’re at school, even as you make new friends. Think about how you show your family and friends that you love them and how you can continue to show them ways you care even while you’re apart. Also, think about how you can show that love and care to your new friends!