Life is full of surprises. Good, bad, stressful, and pleasant. When you’re going through the motions life takes you through; it’s easy to get caught up in the moment by continuing down the path and not taking the time to reflect on what happened last week. The truth is, reflecting on ourselves can be scary and hard- but still necessary in order to grow as a person and move on to the next chapter. Talking things out is helpful, but there isn’t any other better way to understand yourself than to sit down and channel your thoughts into words in a notebook. These things that you can discover just by taking a few moments out of each day and listening to yourself:
1. You can notice patterns within yourself
There are things that we all face, over and over again without even realizing it. When you take the time to write down things that have been going on, it is easier to make sense of it all and work through it by noticing patterns that have been going on with you or your social life.
2. You’ll understand why you’re procrastinating that 3 page essay
We all do it. Sometimes, it’s easy to sit down, begin typing and get your homework done. Other times, that is not the case. it probably has something to do with stress, or procrastination that writing and reflecting on can help you with to make that process easier.
3. Organize your thoughts
Writing down what made you sad, happy, annoyed, angry or any other emotions that you felt that day could bring you clarity, and could even help with the organization of thoughts that drove you to react in certain ways, or to make the decisions you made based on the way you felt.
4. Reduce Stress
Sure, there’s a million ways to reduce stress that shouldn’t be ruled out, but one way to get a quick dose of stress relief can be to take a couple minutes to let out your worries and look at them on paper with a new perspective.
5. Manage conflicts with people
Let’s be honest, you can’t and won’t get along with everyone, but you’re still going to have to deal with those people, or at least learn how to. When you write down what annoys you or bothers you, at least you can get it off your mind without bottling it all up, which could help you find a resolution to that issue with your roommate, professor or friend that has been bothering you.
6. Help clear your mind
Letting all of your thoughts out with pen and paper can help clear your mind in a way that helps you get past those things that can weigh you down. You can have a safe place to keep your thoughts and goals written down to always looks back on, or to keep improving yourself.
The habit of writing every day can seem like another assignment on top of all of the other things college throws at us, but the difference is that soon, you find yourself looking forward to that specific time you put aside to just hear your own thoughts. Managing things in this way in college can help you feel better in the long run.