Whenever I’m going through a lot in life, one of my favorite things to do is write in my journal. It’s a stress reliever for me, and helps me collect my thoughts from time to time. But if i’m being honest, I can be bad at it and sometimes struggle to find motivation to journal. If you’re like me, here are a few tips that can help you stay on track with journaling.
1. Bullet Lists
Sometimes it can be hard to form your thoughts into full sentences and phrases. Sometimes, you may just want to write down a quote you heard or something funny that happened during the day. Try making a bullet list of things you want to remember; this is easier than writing in narrative form.
2. Make it colorful
I personally have journals ranging from your basic narrative “diary” type, to bullet journals that are more like an in-depth date planner. Regardless of which journal type you like best, it makes it more enjoyable to use colorful pens and markers. Talk about being aesthetically pleasing!
3. Journal at the end of the day
After a long day when your mind is all over the place, try journaling. You can think about what you accomplished and get feelings down before you go to sleep. After doing this, your mind will be clear and you can rest for the next day.
4. Journal at the beginning of the day
Depending on the type of person and writer you are, you may want to journal to start your day! Doing so can help you see what the day will look like and allows you to make a to-do list of what you want to accomplish.
5. Journal for at least 10 mins a day
The hardest part of journaling is really implementing it into part of your daily life. Of course, we all get busy from time to time, but if you’re really serious about successfully keeping a journal, try to do it for a little bit each day! Even if you just write down one bullet point a day, you’re getting something down.
6. Record your feelings and emotions
Journaling is a great therapeutic exercise and can help improve your mental health. As college students, we all need to prioritize our personal well-being, and writing down how we feel and putting our emotions out there can help do that!