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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Elon chapter.

Why You Should Go Get Yourself a Journal Right Now

March 8, 2020

Jess Kalinowski

 

TW: mental health 

TAGS: wellness, mental health, coping strategies, stress management, journaling

 

I remember being a 10-year-old girl with my pink sparkly diary who would aimlessly write about going to the candy store down the street and even how I was so in love with my middle school crush. Never would I have pictured myself 10 years later doing the same thing…but in a more mature way of course. 

I often find myself getting caught up in the smallest things as a 20-year-old female college student; whether it be a 12-page research paper or my anxious tendencies that lead me to think the whole world hates me. This led to me becoming overwhelmed with stress and usually drives me to curling up in a ball under my covers and avoiding all responsibilities. I would feel overwhelmed until I found an amazing outlet of writing down all those thoughts that held me back. 

Journaling reaps so many benefits. It helps ease anxiety, depression, and other mental health-related issues. Writing down your thoughts in areas that you are struggling with will help you to better understand how to overcome those obstacles that are preventing you from being your true self. 

If you’re struggling with not knowing where to start here are a few tips. So grab your pencil and a piece of paper and start writing!

 

Affirmations

Daily affirmations are important in order to realize and value your self-worth. Waking up in the morning and appreciating the small aspects about yourself can make a world of a difference. Examples include: I am smart, I am healthy and I am grateful. Simply writing down what you appreciate about yourself will help you to realize your value and will start your day on a strong note. 

 

To-Do Lists

Do you ever find yourself in a situation where you have a million things to do that day but let your overthinking and stress make you feel as though you can’t achieve those things? Oftentimes the answer is yes. This is because you have no plan and continue to ponder over how you will complete all these daunting tasks. By creating a daily to-do list you can stay on track of your day while also breaking down your tasks into small pieces that don’t feel so overwhelming.

 

Goals

It’s apparent that in life we all have goals that we want to accomplish whether they are small or large. This can be something as simple as I want to work out at least three times a week to something as big as I want to be a chef in Paris one day. Writing down both your short and long-term goals can help you maintain motivation. 

 

Reflection

Reflection is an important part of journaling and also your own life. When you find yourself in situations where you feel stuck it can be beneficial to write that situation down. Reflecting on how it made you feel and thinking about how you handled the situation can help you become better in tune with how you react to situations and can also help you prepare for similar situations in the future. 

 

Jess Kalinowski is currently a junior enrolled at Elon University whose majoring in both Strategic Communications and Media Analytics. She is also minoring in Psychology and Business Administration. At the age of 20, she enjoys writing, reading, and volunteering. Born and raised for the first ten years of her life in Australia, she has always had a desire to better understand how the world communicates with itself. Her passion in life is to make it easier for others to understand and connect with each other and hopes to find a career that will enable her to do so.
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