It’s a new year, which gives everyone a chance to start all over or continue with their resolutions. It can be tough to keep resolutions, but we have to remind ourselves that the hardest moments are at the beginning. Once adopted, it will be easier to keep the resolution going. But as we start the year and think about the resolutions we want to keep and accomplish, we also start to get busy. Some of us have to go to school, work, do internships, take care of family members and many other things. We all have different responsibilities going on, and it can sometimes be too much. On top of that, sometimes talking it out with someone is intimidating.
A bad habit of mine is seeing everything accumulate and feeling stressed and pressured. It feels like you’re drowning and your work is never-ending. But I do my best to remind myself that being stressed isn’t going to solve anything. I must stay calm and do the best I can, one task at a time. This year, I plan to keep a journal and write in it every day mentioning how I feel, the things I did throughout my day, any highlights; basically anything! Not only do I hope that this practice will help me relieve some of my stress, but it’s a great way to document memories.
I have been trying this for quite some time, and I realize that it does help me think more clearly. Writing in a journal is a time when you can be alone with your thoughts and express yourself without any consequences. I think college students tend to bottle up their feelings until the storm passes. While this method may work sometimes, it’s not always good for our mental health. The body and mind can only do so much until they give out of exhaustion and stress.
Keeping a journal could be helpful to some. It might sound simple and childish, but sometimes simple is what we need. Here are a few topics you can journal about.
- Talk about your day
- Express how you feel
- Write down the good things that happened throughout the day
- A challenge that you faced or have been facing
- Write about the people or things you are thankful
- Your goals in life
There are so many things to write about, the possibilities are endless! I highly suggest trying to keep up with your journal. It doesn’t matter how much you write, a little or a lot, the idea is to write something. If this method works then try to make it a habit to write in the mornings or at night, whichever works best. Remember to take care of yourself and to check in on others as well. You are all strong and are doing amazing! I want to wish you all a happy new year! May this 2023 be filled with lots of blessings and happiness for everyone!