It's finally August, which means school will be back in session sooner rather than later. And while (hopefully) this summer has been a stress-free time, going back to school means projects, assignments, deadlines, late nights, and, most of all: stress.
When the school year ended, I'm sure all of the notebooks and pencils from the year ended up either in the trash or hidden away in the back of your closet to collect dust like mine did.
When was the last time you wrote something? I mean pencil-to-paper writing, not a text, tweet or email. Was it the last sentence on that last final exam before you went home for the summer? Was it your grocery list last week? Can you even remember?
Whether you think you like to write or not, it can be a huge stress-reliever. Doodling, making lists, writing creatively or just getting some random thoughts down on paper is an easy and efficient way to relieve your mind of the stress and negativity that often builds up before we even know it.
Over the last few weeks, I've been doing my best to dedicate time to writing something every day. Whether it's a creative story prompt I found on Tumblr, the fourth list of things I *need* for my dorm room this coming year, or ranting about my job, I'm taking thirty minutes to an hour a day to put my thoughts on paper. And I'm learning how healthy and eye-opening it really is.
Journaling is a way to connect your subconscious with your physical world. It helps you organize your thoughts and sort through your emotions in a healthy way.
Studies have shown that writing a little every day can cause a decrease in depression, an increase in IQ and an increase in confidence and self-esteem.
When you write "stream of consciousness" journal entries, which is when your mind flows as if you are having a conversation with yourself, writing whatever comes to mind, you become more and more knowledgeable and aware of yourself. It's a way to get to know the "you" in the back of your mind that the physical "you" is often too busy to remember. This gives you the opportunity to get to know yourself better and find out who you are, what things you love about who you are and what you think you could work on.
Almost too often, we find ourselves absorbed with living life in the moment, causing us to forget or neglect to take the time to reflect and write about our emotions and experiences.
Taking that time to be alone and be yourself (after all, you're the only one who has to see what you write) is helpful in untangling those tough emotions and reflecting on those special memories.
So the next time you find yourself pissed off at your boss, watching a beautiful sunrise or dealing with some personal challenges, find a sheet of paper and a pen and document it. Get it all out: every detail, feeling and angry word.
Trust me, it's so much more productive than keeping it bottled in or mindlessly scrolling through your Twitter feed, and your brain will thank you for it.
