Journaling has ample benefits, most of which are associated with improving mental health. In our fast-paced world, especially as students, we get too caught up in our daily lives and take our mental health for granted. I find journaling is a healing and accessible tool that helps us get an idea of how we are living our lives, and how we want to live our lives.
Whenever you feel anxious and overwhelmed, it helps to grab a pen and paper, and start rambling our thoughts. It’s a wonderful way to relax from that same loop of anxiety provoking thoughts. Some of our thoughts don’t mean anything and are simply just a reaction to what is happening around us. Once we write a thought down and it is in front of our eyes, we can understand it and decide how much importance it really holds. Then we can decide whether to disregard the thought or take an action on it.
There are some things we do not feel comfortable sharing with anyone out of fear of judgement, embarrassment, or being misunderstood. We do not have to be worried about all those fears when journaling. We can feel relieved and heard without sharing with anyone.
Journaling is like any other habit; you have to keep doing it long enough to see the transformative results. I have been journaling for a long time, and I can see myself evolving into a better version of myself. I can just flip the pages and witness the kind of person I was a year ago and the person I am now. When the progress is visible, it encourages us to continue improving ourselves.
We can write down our goals, dreams and ideas. When we begin to think about our future goals, we can work towards them one step at a time. Most of the time when we think of an idea or thought which might be useful later, we forget it. So, if it is written down it becomes easier to follow up on. I have a list on the last page of my journal thatI look at when I’m feeling lost or uncertain about my future. It helps me remind myself where I want to be and that I must go through this phase to get there. It is also a great reminder when we lack motivation,as it keeps us aware of our ultimate goals.
I have a deal with myself that if I keep thinking about something over and over for a longer period of time, I must act on it. This is because if I keep coming back to the same thoughts, they clearly mean a lot to me. By looking at my journal, I recognize patterns of thoughts, then start figuring out a way to do something about it. For example, I have been wanting to do something adventurous for as long as I can remember, and I did not realize it until a few months ago when I looked at my journal. I immediately went skydiving and invited my brother with me. Only when we know what our dreams are can we fulfill them.
We spend most of our lives figuring out others, but we forget to take a little time to know ourselves. Journaling is the best way to know yourself.