Aliana Yee

Journaling can be extremely relaxing. Some might prefer a physical journal because you can write with a physical pen, put in printed pictures or cutouts as well as other decorations.

Thoughts race through your head as you enter your next class. You remember an English test you have to study for, along with six other finals, Advanced Placement (AP) tests, and Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS). After school, you have to go to crew practice, so you’ll get home late again, only to be met with tons of homework that you still need to complete. You feel tired after only five hours of sleep last night.

It’s that time of year again ‒ finals season is a long-dreaded time for many and it often guarantees intense studying until midnight. It is often hard to find the time or energy to do anything else. It might sound like a waste of time, but spending just a few minutes in the morning on the bus or in the evening before you sleep journaling can be truly rewarding; as shown in numerous scientific studies, journaling can improve mental health, self-confidence, creativity, productivity, memory, communication skills, writing skills, and have many other physical benefits as well.

There are endless possibilities for journaling topics, but if you need ideas, just try getting a blank sheet of paper, a pen and letting the words flow wherever your mind takes you. You can describe your day, express your distress, or write about a strange dream you had but don’t want to forget. Make a calendar and fill in a colored circle for your overall mood, productivity and sleep daily. Write a short story about who you’d be in an alternate universe or a poem about how you felt today. Describe and rate a book you read or a song you listened to, nature you’ve seen throughout the day, or the worst thing that could happen at an upcoming event you’re stressed about. There are many topics to write about, and, without a doubt, one of them will help you relax a little.

If you have a notebook lying around, you could simply take a pen and start writing. Or, if you’d like a more digitized approach, you could use an app on your phone or computer. Personally, I like Apple’s “Journal” app because of its minimalistic and neat design. It allows you to incorporate photos, audio recordings and locations into your journal, and has many journal prompts that can inspire an entry. Another app I’ve enjoyed using is “Stoic.”, which has a versatile selection of meditations, mood checks, journaling prompts, morning preparations and evening reflections. Additionally, it provides a calendar that is color-coded with the mood you’ve recorded, which could be used to watch your journey over time.

Whichever app you decide to choose, and whatever you decide to write about, journaling is sure to be a great way to take a much-needed break, keep track of your thoughts, improve mental health and relax after a long day.