As I finished writing on the last page of my current journal and added it to the shelves along with my many other journals, I realized just how long I’ve been journaling for. It surprised me. I was nearly running out of space to add new journals to my collection!
In the beginning, finding time to write in my journal every day was difficult. After finishing all my assignments for school, it felt too tiring to hold a pen again and write some more. Sometimes it seemed like a chore. But I started making time for it and wrote with music. Always. Listening to music while writing is a must! The process became therapeutic.
Personally, I like to carry around two different journals. I dedicate one specifically to writing down thoughts. Another one was to write down what I did that day to keep myself organized. As someone who overthinks a lot, writing down these thoughts made it concrete, so it isn’t bouncing around in my head. Once it is on paper, I can stop worrying about it.
Journaling every day for five years made me do a lot of self-reflection and helped me a lot mentally, especially with understanding my emotions and feelings. Overall, journaling taught me about consistency and helped me with stress management – big time. Thinking back, my favorite part of journaling has been reading my past entries and seeing how far I’ve grown.
So for those out there that are thinking about starting journaling – go for it and have fun. Let us know by tagging us on Instagram, @HerCampusSJSU!