THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CARE
As women in college, there are many things that we juggle – academics, extracurriculars, social life, and taking time to care for ourselves – just to name a few. If we are not our best selves, we simply will not be able to do our best in achieving our goals. As they say, you get what you give. And you cannot get that degree with an unhealthy mindset!
When first hearing “self-care,” many people’s minds immediately go to physical care and wellbeing. While it is absolutely crucial to take care of ourselves physically, self-care is so much more than just that. It is just as important – if not, arguably, more important – to take care of ourselves mentally. If you are not in the right state of mind, it will be next to impossible to succeed in what you wish to. However, do not fret! There is a fun, simple way to take care of your mental health – through the art of journaling. Perhaps expressing emotion on pages through creativity is just what you need to do to properly care for your mind.
How to journal
There is no right or wrong way to journal – you simply do whatever it is you feel is right for you. You can fill the pages with words in pretty colors, or go bold with washi tape and unique stickers. The purpose of journaling is expressing your feelings, however you would like to do that. Want to write it out? Perfect. Want to make it cute with colors and texture? Love that. You can choose to write passages or you could create cute calendars and trackers in a bullet journal – or both. Do whatever fits you!
Starting your journaling experience is exciting and eye-opening. While you may think it is time-consuming and expensive, it doesn’t have to be either of those things. It is what you make it! Here are a few stores where you can find useful and affordable journal materials:
- Etsy – not only are there so many cute finds on this website, but you can also support small businesses! #ShopSmall
- Walmart – they typically have a wide selection of arts & crafts, and we all know how cheap it is (especially as college students with budgets).
- Target – while it is more expensive than Walmart, most have a dollar section right by the doors when you walk in! They switch out the items here fairly often, and you can find lots of cute stickers, pens, and even journals themselves!
- Dollar Tree – what’s more affordable than the store where everything costs a dollar? This store a decent amount of crafting supplies, and you can even find something to DIY for your journal!
- You can even get really crafty and make your own journal completely from scratch with recycled paper!
If you’re not quite sure what to start writing about, here are some fun ideas:
- A page dedicated to yourself – your current Netflix favorites, a color pallet that describes you, a picture of you and some of your loved ones, etc.
- Are you a doodler? Fill a page with some cute doodles and drawings!
- Track things each day in your life – what hobbies/tasks you completed, how much water you drank, hours spent studying, your daily moods, etc.
- Write goals for yourself and check them off as you complete them!
- Fill a page with textured stickers and washi tape and write yourself a motivational quote!
The Benefits of Journaling
The power of journaling is strong. Not only is it a fun pastime, but it also makes you feel empowered. It is an accomplishment that you can achieve each and every day – it will always be that one thing that you can pat yourself on the back for. This is also a great way to look back and see how far you have progressed in your life as time goes on. Being able to track your life progress will lead to a positive and healthy outcome. Just imagine one year after starting your journaling journey, you completely fill up your first journal and can already see how much you’ve changed since you started. Another five years, and you could see how you evolved into a completely new and improved version of yourself! Some other great benefits of journaling are evoking mindfulness, deepening your emotional intelligence, healing, and improving your self-confidence. Journaling is even known to improve your IQ, according to a report made by the University of Victoria. It’s a win-win!
Don’t keep waiting to start this fun, beneficial, and positive journey. There are plenty of pages out there waiting for your personal touch to make it your own. Start journaling today!