I started journaling back in mid August of 2021. My first entry was on my 17th birthday and I detailed how I was spending the day at the beach with my close friends and how I felt so appreciative of that day and the people in it. For the first few months, I was able to journal every day. Now this wasn't like I was writing a full page, but more so just what I was up to that day or how I was feeling. At the start of the winter in 2021 my school work got busy and I lost the habit of writing every day. Since then, I’ve been writing on and off. But, when I started university a few months ago, I found myself feeling more relaxed even at the idea of writing. Now I write nearly every day again.
Journaling is very helpful for stress management. When I started university a few months ago, it was a big change for me. Many things made me feel constantly anxious like being far from home, being away from friends and family, being in a long distance relationship and trying to make new friends. The first bit was hard for me and looking back, I wish I had journaled a lot more than I did. In October, I finally picked up my journal again and began to write about my day and I felt so much better. Usually I just write about what I’m doing that day and how I’m feeling or have been feeling for a while.
When I’ve been having a difficult day or time, I find writing helps clear my head because it’s a way to get one’s feeling out. Even after that, it’s a way to leave those things behind so one can focus on the present and not be stuck with the feelings that have been written down.
Something important to remember is that there are so many benefits to writing on the good and bad days. Writing on the bad days helps to sort out lots of thoughts and separate them from dissolving into the rest of your day. But also, writing on the good days is so important because it’s something that you can look back on when those bad days sneak up on you. I find this so helpful because I often look back at past entries to remind myself of peaceful moments that I then remember will happen again.
Lastly, journaling is also super helpful when you’re going through a rough patch with one’s peers. I find it assists me in sorting through how I’m feeling, what my priorities are or any inner conflicts I’m feeling. This also helps with personal growth as when situations happen and you can read back on them, you can see your perspective and how you’ve grown since then. Journaling also helps build relationships because it can encourage communication. If you’re going through a rough patch in your life with others, trying to communicate with that other person can be extremely difficult if you don’t even know what you’re feeling. This is where writing can improve that as when you write down how you’re feeling, you can organize these ideas and connect with yourself. I find it’s also helpful to write letters to a certain person if you’re having a hard time with them and then I tape it in my journal. This makes me feel more connected to that person, almost as if I’m talking to them (but of course they never see it). After this, you can take these ideas and talk with the other person.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
What have you done today? What do you plan to do?
Where are you writing from? Is there anything interesting about this place? Have you been there before?
What new things have you done this week?
How are you feeling/how have you been feeling mentally? What is improving/declining your mental state?
Have you seen any friends or family recently?
What new project are you doing at work or school this week?
Have you listened to any new music or tried any new food?
Remember, the most important thing is that journaling doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be yours.
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