Whenever I cleaned my room, I would occasionally come across little pink notebooks that I wrote in as a kid, describing the dramas of elementary school life. I had been writing in journals on and off for most of my life, but never consistently. During my freshman year of high school, I wasn’t in a good headspace at the time, so I thought that it might help to jot down how I felt. I took out a blank journal and just started writing. Since that day, I have not stopped writing and my life has changed for the better because of it.
Journaling might sound a little intimidating at first, but it’s essentially writing down your thoughts and feelings. It can be whatever you want it to be, and there is no right or wrong way to do it. When I journal, I write about my day, how I’m feeling, problems that I’m going through, and anything else that is on my mind. I also write about positive experiences that I’ve had and memories that I don’t want to forget.
As a college student, life can get overwhelming at times. Journaling has become my go-to way to cope with stress or any negative emotions that I’m feeling. It provides a space for me to be completely transparent about how I feel and what is going on in my life. I can just spill any thoughts into my journal and clear my mind. Whenever I feel a little down, I try to write about positive things, such as listing what I am grateful for, which usually makes me feel a lot better. After I write I always feel a sense of mental clarity and balance, like a breath of fresh air.
Journaling has also given me a better understanding of myself and made me more conscious of my thoughts and actions. By having my train of thought visually on paper, I am able to pick up on the tendencies that I have. I’ll notice if I’m being too hard on myself or if I’ve been comparing myself to others too much. Being aware of these things has helped me grow immensely and taught me so much about myself.
One of my favorite things about keeping a journal is being able to look back on what I wrote years ago. Not only is it fun to see how much I’ve changed since then, but I can also learn from what I wrote. It could be an entry about a conversation that I had with someone or a small memory that slipped my mind. Something might resonate with my life currently or help guide me through a decision that I’m trying to make. It’s crazy how much your own words and experiences can change your perspective later on.
Journaling may not be for everyone, but it’s something that everyone should try at some point in their life. It gives you the power to heal and grow just by looking within yourself. So the next time you feel like you need to let it all out, write it down. It might just change your life too.