The benefits of journaling: a students perspective

When I first started journaling, I didn’t think it would make much of a difference. Like many of the students at Louisville HS, I am busy with a full schedule of classes, extracurriculars and homework. Adding time to sit down and write seemed like an unnecessary task. But after giving it a try, I found that journaling was not just another thing on my to-do list, it became a tool for me to unwind and reflect. 

At first, it was not so easy to get into the habit of writing for myself every day. Sometimes, I really didn't know what to write, and sometimes it felt more like a chore. But as I kept doing it, journaling became a time for me to relax and process everything that happened throughout the day. Setting aside only 10-15 minutes to write helped me clear my mind and manage stress better than before.

Journaling does not need to be perfect or even take much time. That's part of why it can be so effective: it is used as a means to write down anything - an idea, a feeling, or something that you want to remember. Anwar wrote that journaling “promotes mindfulness, clarifies thoughts, and serves as an outlet for your emotions,” and the more I wrote, the more I started to pay attention to little details in life that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise.