Journaling has always been my favorite pastime since the good old days of middle school. I was excited every time I filled a page full of words that didn’t have a flow or meaning. Once I finished one notebook, I was able to start a new one. It was a quest of mine to write daily. Journaling out of habit is a powerful skill that can eventually have an effect on more than just your writing skills. Here are three reasons why you should make time to journal in college.
1. It’s an escape from professional writing
Journals are necessary now more than ever. In a time when I have to write professionally and meet deadlines, journals are an escape. They remind me of why I love to write. There doesn’t need to be a flow or a string of coherent thoughts; most of the time mine are random musings. It’s not just the inner dialogue you’re able to have with yourself, where you’re able to see your hopes and dreams laid out in front of you, but a way to solve those problems. You can look back at everything you had to say and find a way to make your goals a reality.
2. It gives you a chance to be creative
Journals tap into your creative nature, something that can be lost along the way in college. Some might deem a handwritten book full of personal thoughts more of a diary, but journal sounds a bit more sophisticated. I shamelessly did have one of those with a padlock and key, though. Yes, it has the same premise, but as I’ve grown older I see it as a necessary outlet and not just a book filled with middle school angst and heartache.
3. It’s therapeutic
Short stories, poems and thoughts on your day are all part of the journal writing process. With the stress of assignments, social events and internships, journals can be both a friend and therapist. They take you away from the stress of life and allow for clarity on what to do next, in a particular moment or, at a much larger scale, life.
Whether you used to journal everyday or never have, trying it out for a few days wouldn’t hurt. You never know, you may just pick up a new hobby.