To keep the story “short and sweet”, let me begin by telling you all that I had a mentally tough Fall Semester 2018. I was taking classes at home to finish my 2-year degree before transferring to UT while experiencing one of the worst heartbreaks ever. My life was falling apart- at least that’s what I told myself. At many moments I felt discouraged and lonely and I often questioned why life suddenly changed, literally, in the blink of an eye.
Now, I’m not writing this for sympathy or for you to feel sad. We can’t control any of our outcomes in life, but how we deal with it and find ourselves through the process only reflects our true courage and strength. It is not easy, but one of the ways I got through the downs in my life was by journaling my thoughts each morning.
It’s kind of funny how it all happened. I always talked with my best friends & my mom for words of encouragement and peace. I was literally in Michaels one morning shopping for a school project. (I can write a whole separate article on why you should love Michaels!) I went through the stationary aisle and they had hundreds of cutely decorated journals and notebooks. From planners to grocery list organizers, to every day “thought” journals. I picked one up and decided to purchase it. I told myself that instead of living in anger or hurt, I am going to write down all my thoughts and feelings into this journal and tuck it away, just for me to know and see.
I woke up every morning, brewed my favorite coffee into my mug and wrote whatever came to my mind. My feelings that morning, my stresses, my confusion, my excitement for what is to come. Every time I did this it felt like a burden was being lifted off of me. I think it’s important to dedicate just five minutes every day to compose yourself and write your thoughts down before you step out and take on the world. You may feel weird at first because it is a very personal and private way of coping but believe me it helps. It’s crazy how “writing to yourself” can give you a sense of comfort and even that extra confidence you need!
I encourage each one of you, if you’re going through something or if you’re simply overwhelmed with life (which we all probably are), to buy a journal and start writing! You won’t regret it and the results will be so uplifting and inspiring… I promise you that!