Journaling can have many positive effects on mental health, like calming nerves, dealing with stress and anxiety, creating plans for homework, identifying problems, and combating negative thoughts. Personally, I have tried 3 different types of journaling and all have worked well for me.
The first is normal journaling. This consists of writing down how my day went, how I’m feeling, what I’m stressed about, and any other random thoughts I want to add. According to an article by the University of Rochester Medical Center, journaling “helps you create order when your world feels like it’s in chaos. You get to know yourself by revealing your most private fears, thoughts, and feelings. Look at your writing time as personal relaxation time. It’s a time when you can de-stress and wind down.”
The next type of journaling is bullet journaling. Bullet journaling is a more creative approach to normal journaling. It’s a mix of planning, doodling and writing. For this type, you use a bulleted journal and create different monthly “spreads.” The result is a planner-like journal. Personally, I like bullet journaling because it can be a creative outlet where I can use fun colors and relax in ways I can’t during school or sports.
The final method of journaling I have tried is fill-in journals. These are journals that have different prompts to get you to think more about. I currently have two one entitled “Calm the Chaos” where it asks a few questions a day about what I did to take care of myself, my most memorable moment of my day, and some questions about what I want to do tomorrow. The other fill-in journal I have is called “One Question a Day, a 5 Year Journal.” This journal asks you one random question a day. This goes on for 5 years with the same question being asked each year to see how your answers changed over time.
