My necessary reprieve from the constant intake of information
You take out your favorite pen and open a brand new notebook excited to write all the goals you have for this journal. Never writing in it again, you find it months later wishing you could look back at entries tracking your growth. We’ve all been there, but you don’t have to stay stuck in this cycle of “getting back into journaling.”
As someone who has been journaling on and off for over six years, my practice has never been perfect, but it has always been an important creative outlet for me. Journaling took on different forms throughout different seasons of my life. It served as a traditional “diary,” a space for my commentary on current events, a list of goals and everything in between.
Looking back at previous journals, there is a clear pattern. A cluster of entries are followed by a few weeks off before proclaiming I was going to get back into a daily habit just to return weeks later with the same intention but no plan.
At the beginning of this semester, I once again set the intention to journal every day, but this time with a plan. Frustrated with my morning routine that could be summed up as “scroll and rush,” I knew I needed to get back to the habits that were important to me.
As a journalism and strategic communication student, creativity is crucial to success in my classes. However, I found myself stuck in a loop of staring blankly at my computer for a few seconds before resorting to scrolling on Tik Tok for way longer than I would like to admit. This habit did not make me feel mindful, regulated or prepared to take on my assignments. By intentionally choosing to start my mornings by journaling one page, which usually takes me about 15 minutes, I now start my day with a sense of clarity. In these relatively short entries, I use the strategy of brain dumping where I just write whatever comes to mind. Often, I stare blankly at the page, but instead of turning to my phone, I force myself to truly think without distractions.
Not every moment must be filled with the intake of online information, but feeling comfortable in this lack of distraction can take practice. By building even a small routine of pausing to think, I notice myself using the technique when writing articles or working on assignments. The technique not only boosts my productivity, but makes me more present in my work. Without distraction, my brain has the capacity to be creative because it is not exhausted by processing whatever content may come across my For You Page. I can come up with new ideas rather than comparing my thoughts to what I see on the internet.
Spending 15 minutes writing a stream of consciousness journal entry may not elicit the profound, life changing effects preached by productivity gurus, but it can certainly clear your head and provide a reset from the busy digital world we typically inhabit. A moment to slow down works wonders for my creativity, and I encourage anyone struggling to find motivation or feeling stuck in online spaces to take up the practice.