The word “journal” is often accompanied by the stereotype of writing proclamations of love that your middle school crush will typically never see.
At times, writing in a diary is made fun of because but it is the perfect way to express feelings that you don’t want to run share with friends while drinking a cup of coffee.
For others, journaling can be therapeutic and help rid of the heavy thoughts you may be holding inside.
Colleen Moretti, a junior communication student said, “It’s a good way to relieve stress and get all of your feelings out.”
At first, sitting down to journal can seem daunting and can even make you feel awkward.
An easy way to start off is by writing down certain things you are grateful for, or positive parts of your day.
Once you put positive thoughts down on paper, the universe will reward you. You will always get back 100 times what you give; journaling is a great way to manifest in your future.
Journaling is also a great way to dispose of feelings of anger or distress.
Keeping your feelings bottled up will only hurt you in the long run. Sometimes it is better to pick and choose your battles when facing a potential argument.
Instead of choosing to provoke someone, first, write down in your journal what you are feeling.
This will give you the same satisfaction of a face to face confrontation but will help you move on faster.
Once you get what you need to say out, you will not feel the need to re-hash it again.
When you start to write down your thoughts, you can also help yourself get through trying times.
Dr. James Pennebaker, the author of Writing to Heal, wrote, “When we translate an experience into language we essentially make the experience graspable.”
When we can grasp what is going on in our lives, it makes it easier to acknowledge rather than deny the problems we may be having.
You never truly know the feelings you have been ignoring until you allow yourself to open up to a piece of paper.
When asked how journaling has impacted her own life, Rebecca Ley, junior health studies and wellness promotion student said, “It gets me in touch with feelings I may have been suppressing.”
Journaling can also give you a boost of self-esteem. It can be easy to lose sight of the things that make us special in this life.
Using your journal to write down positive affirmations can help you achieve more self-confidence. By writing down these affirmations your brain will believe what you are telling it.
Slowly, over time, writing down what you love about yourself will only strengthen your own personal relationship with yourself.
Journaling is a great tool to find a starting point for the goals you want to achieve.
Writing down your goals can help you envision a path that you see yourself going on down the road. Putting down your future dreams into a journal also simultaneously helps you put them out into the world.
Recognizing your dreams and goals will motivate you to work smarter and harder.
Journaling can also give you a window into the past.
Not many people realize, but when you journal, you are documenting the events happening in your life first hand.
If you commit to journaling, in five years you will have hilarious memories to look back on.
Nick Messina, Specialist Professor of Communication said that journaling, more than anything else is a chance to create history.
“There is nothing more satisfying than getting to look back, 10, 20, 30, years and see what was going on in our minds, explore our feelings, how we have grown, etc.,” stated Messina.
The next time you are getting ready for bed or find yourself bored, take your pen to paper and let your thoughts do the talking.
Happy journaling.
PHOTOS TAKEN by Cassandra Capozzi-Smith
