When going through a rough patch, I always turn to my journal. I have been a big fan of writing for years and I find it the best way to process my feelings. Often, negative thoughts get stuck in a loop in my head, and once I write about them, they seem to magically disappear.
While journaling helps me a lot, I often wait until I am really emotional or worked up to actually write. Last week, I challenged myself to write daily to see how I felt. Throughout the week, three big tips jumped out at me for successful daily journaling:
- Be intentional
I like to put my journal on my bed so that I have to move it before I go to sleep. This forces me to write for at least a few minutes every night. I also noticed that I felt slightly better in the morning if I spent the last five to ten minutes of my day writing instead of scrolling on social media. Most days, just writing down the day’s events and how they made me feel is enough to clear my head.
- Remove any pressure
At first, journaling felt really awkward, and I wrote as if someone was going to read my entries. Luckily, that is not the case! It can be easy to get caught up in the writing style, so I had to continually remind myself that this was just for me. Once I worked through feeling awkward, I was able to write more freely.
- Write about anything
Last week, I found myself writing about current events, homework assignments and holiday plans. In high school, I typically wrote a brief summary of my day about once a week. Now, I love reading those entries and remembering funny moments with classmates, my sports practices or the struggles of my assignments. If you are struggling to get started with journaling, there are many helpful prompts online; the Day One journaling app has a great list of over 550 prompts.
Finding a calming activity that allows you to pause and reflect is wonderful, especially during the busiest part of the semester. I felt a lot better throughout the week after consistently journaling because I felt I was better able to regulate my emotions and get out of my head about situations. Journaling helps me a lot, and I hope to continue the habit throughout the rest of the semester.