During the last 4 years journaling has benefited me in many ways. When I say journaling I don’t mean a “secret diary” that you write all your secrets in. By journaling, you can create plans, use it as a way to cope, jot ideas, and write out your feelings. 

I got my first journal in 5th grade, my mom suggested it. As you get older your life starts to change, and there’s more things going on and it gets more complicated. Sometimes it can be hard to hold all of that in. For me, I had the responsibility of keeping good grades, performing well at my sport, and also I had to keep making steps forward with my own self. For me, writing my thoughts and feelings down was a way to balance everything.

Planning. You can use a journal to plan things, whether it’s an event, or you want to correct a habit you have. For example, let’s say you want to create a new healthy habit by correcting an old one. Maybe you bite your nails, and you want to stop that habit.  You can weigh pros and cons, you can evaluate scenarios, you can find things that work better for you. You could come up with ideas to replace that bad habit with a healthier one. Maybe when you feel an urge to bite your nails, grab a stress ball, or play your instrument, exercise. Something that would keep your hands busy. 

Thoughts. I would recommend writing down thoughts that you have, maybe its about a new sport or hobby you want to try. Or maybe you got into an argument with a parent and you feel frustrated. You might be stressed about school, or you find out that you don’t like tomatoes and that’s okay too! This has worked for me, as it brings me a sense of relief. 

Also, writing things down or any kind of ideas can help you to remember. What if you had to remember something super important, and you forgot. You might feel upset or like you failed. You can write about that too. I am a very forgetful person, so writing down reminders or even a checklist keeps me on track with the things I need to remember.

There are also things called bullet journaling, these bullet books feature dots instead of lines. So you can draw without lines being in the way. You can make it super fun, you can add shapes, and colors, and design your own page. I’ve never tried bullet journaling but it’s always something to look into.

Okay now let’s say you can’t exactly go buy a journal from your local store, or you don’t have enough money saved, you can always find something to write on. Maybe its your white board, or your notes app on your phone. It could be at the end of a book( you could even write about your opinions on a book as well). Maybe on notebook paper you see laying around. There’s always an option. 

 But there are so many things you can do with a journal. Hey, you may even find something different than what I mentioned.  The possibilities are endless honestly. So if you have the chance I would recommend that you at least try it. Because journaling has had a large impact in my life. Maybe it might help you, maybe it won’t. It is not for everybody, so if it’s not your thing, no worries. But if you try you might end up liking it, and it could have a large impact on your life. So go have fun, write whatever you want. I hope it leaves you with satisfaction.