As a busy university student, it may be daunting to add a task to your schedule. If you’re like me have multiple courses for which you need to write essays, you might be wondering why you should write more on the side. However, journaling can be an immensely good way to relieve stress. All you need is some info and a little push to get started!
I have only just recently started to journal. I find that it allows me to stay in the moment. I can write without having to worry about the structure or grammar or even if it makes sense. Because it’s just my own thoughts, I never experience any sort of writer’s block. The lack of structure is so refreshing compared to the essays we have to write. There’s no need to think about in-text citations, quotations, or research. You’re completely in charge of your writing. At first, you might think that it’s pointless, but the rewards are greater than you think.
You can write anything. If there’s a song you’ve been listening to a lot lately, add some lyrics to your journal entry. Love to doodle? Add that in there too. I usually just write what I’ve been doing lately or my thoughts and what’s been stressing me out. This hobby you can pick up is incredibly versatile and very accessible. I love to write on paper, but if you’d like to write it in your notes app, that works just as well.
Knowing that no one will ever read my journal is what keeps me motivated to continue adding entries. Writing secrets or confessions you would never tell anyone feels so freeing.
There are a few ways to get yourself into journaling if you’re lacking some much-needed motivation. There are five minute journals which aim to get you to write in your journal every day for a short amount of time. They give you prompts so you don’t have to do any thinking. You can even just make your own goals. It might be helpful to tell yourself to just write down one thing you did that day. Since you do at least one entry every day, there’s no pressure.
In addition to helping my mental health, journaling also helps me remember things. As I write, it becomes a sort of time capsule. If you journal frequently, one day you can read all your journal entries and see how you’ve grown. It’s possible that you may cringe at yourself, but that’s completely normal and is a sign of growth.
There are so many reasons to start your journaling journey and so many ways to do it. It may be hard to start or maintain a routine, but that’s the joy! You don’t even have to write every day, you can add to your entries as much or as little as you want. There are only positives to this hobby.