How to Journal!

By Emma Sandora

Journaling has become increasingly popular in the last few years as everyone raves about its benefits. Whether you use it to clear your mind, speak your gratitude, or as an outlet for word vomit, you can find a way to incorporate journaling into your own life. 

I started to journal after my aunt recommended it to me as an outlet to clear her head. When she begins to feel like there is too much going on for her to be able to focus, she decides to write down what is causing her emotional reactions. If she is having a bad day, or has trouble focusing, she turns to her journal for some peace.

I used this fall semester to begin my journaling practices. I have always been anxious at the start of each school year, but when my anxiety felt heightened this year I turned to my aunt's advice. Like her, I began a  journal as a way to release my emotions and read them over. Being alone with your thoughts and having the ability to see them written out can sometimes make those beliefs feel less powerful, in a good way. 

Each morning I started writing out fears, anxieties, and stressors for the day ahead. Through reading them over I was able to realize that I am so much stronger than my thoughts. No one deserves to be in a constant battle with thoughts that can ruin their mood, and journaling can be a solution. If you feel that you are in a battle with your thoughts, I encourage you to find peace in journaling. To begin, recognize the feelings you have and write them down to release the tension. If you are feeling great and want to celebrate that feeling, gratitude journaling is another way to practice journaling. Gratitude journaling can involve compiling a list of all the things you appreciate, or simply being thankful for another day. I have found that I also enjoy writing down my goals for the year and more acutely, the month and week. I tend to check back in on them occasionally to keep up with my progress and work toward achievement.

There are countless ways to journal and with that comes countless benefits. Try it out, see what you like, see how it makes you feel, and run with it!