An easy way to lift your spirits that most people tend to overlook is through writing. You’ll often hear middle school and high school teachers encouraging their students to write daily but that advice is often ignored, especially as the students get older and busier. While that advice is good for getting creative juices flowing in English class, it can also lead to happier day-to-day life.
What many of us don’t realize is that writing is a great personal outlet. You can sort through a lot of what you’re going through simply by writing about it. Emotions in your head can get jumbled and confusing, so physically writing down your thoughts and feelings on paper can be cathartic. Write about your life, your hardships, your dreams, or write creative stories; it can help take some of the stress out of your life.
Here are some tips to help you with your journaling:
1. Keep a journal on your bedside table. Every night before bed, set aside 10, maybe 15 minutes to write.
2. Don’t focus on the grammar or spelling. Nobody else is going to be looking at your journal, so if you misspell a word or use an apostrophe incorrectly, it’ll be your little secret and help keep the words flowing.
3. Make lists. Your journal entries don’t have to be deep and emotional. You can simply list songs that you liked on the radio that day or list some fun names you came up with for a pet.
4. Couple your daily writing with something else you like. Always enjoy a mug of hot tea at night? Settle down with your tea and your journal and let it flow.
5. If you don’t feel like writing, write about that! You may uncover that you’re feeling a lack of motivation in other areas in your life as well, which can lead to personal discovery.
Have you ever kept a daily journal? Tell us about that experience and if it helped boost your overall happiness.