Over the past few years, journaling has risen to be one of the most popular forms of stress management and self-care. Like many, I used to be skeptical of the true benefits, almost in disbelief at how simply writing for a few minutes a day seems to solve people’s problems. Even after trying my hand at journaling, I was never able to make it a habit and gave up after the first few days. However, this question of “Does journaling actually work?” has been explored by many psychologists, scientists, and especially teenagers.
Between school, sports, clubs, and everything else high school students are committed to, our schedules leave almost no time for self-reflection or talk therapy. Because of this, we have had to explore other healthy ways to relieve stress at the end of the day. Avid journalist, 19-year-old Niya Wharton, can attest to this, as she, “writes about anything: current drama, [her] day, or anger [she] needs to get out.” Niya has learned to, “use journaling as an outlet when she doesn’t have time to talk to people.” While asking Niya about her progression in journaling, she showed me a few of her favorite pages which included intricate spreads, small doodles, colorful lists of her current favorite music, and some pages filled with only words. A study from Berkeley’s Greater Good Magazine has shown that writing and drawing while journaling proved more effective than only writing or only drawing. This is a great strategy to make the process more enjoyable and rewarding, especially when looking back at old pages.
Many influential figures, such as Einstein, Marie Curie, and Frida Kahlo, kept journals of their own. According to Kaiser Permanente, journals are a great place for brainstorming and inspiration, as well as goal-tracking and accountability. Being able to have a physical copy of what you want to achieve, and then look back at it to see your growth, has proven to boost confidence. I asked two Skyline seniors, Ava Dawson and Sydney Sawyer, about their journaling experiences over the years. “If I had time, I would journal regularly,” Ava said. With her busy schedule, she only takes time to journal when she is stressed, but has noticed that it helps almost immediately. Sydney noticed that, “journaling is a really good outlet when you don’t have anyone to talk to, like a therapist or trusted friend,” and that journaling is a great coping mechanism in stressful situations. They both agreed that their biggest obstacle when journaling is the time commitment, which is hard to manage especially when journaling isn’t a habit.
The biggest question asked when one begins their journaling journey is “Where do I start?” First, set aside 10 to 20 minutes during the day to write or draw something in your journal. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, this step is important if your goal is to make journaling a habit. Once this happens, your journaling can start getting more complex, focused, or deep, and you can spend even more time enhancing your spreads. Starting a new habit isn’t easy, but making it a part of the day you can look forward to is a crucial strategy. Don’t only write about negative things, and don’t pressure yourself to write a certain amount or share your journal with others. This is a form of SELF-care, meaning you control the level of privacy. Finally, never be ashamed to reach out to a therapist, which combined with journaling is proven to be the most effective method of stress and emotion management. Happy journaling!
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