How Journaling changed my life.

Back in December, before the lockdown that we currently find ourselves in, I started journaling. For me, it acted as a stress release and an organisation technique.

In my journal is a variety of things. Creative pieces, weekly planners, and written diary entries. By writing everything down it allowed me to focus on tasks that I had to do that week and give me some sort of motivation. Each week I write down a small timetable of homework, online lessons, and extra activities that are going on throughout my week and it allowed me to stay on top of my work and lifestyle. Before I started doing this, I often found myself with little motivation to do work and feeling overwhelmed by the number of tasks that lay ahead for my week. However, by simply splitting your tasks over all 7 days of the week, it becomes to seem a lot more manageable. If I have 21 extra things I have to do I will simply schedule them into a time slot which I know I will be able to do and all of a sudden 3 tasks per day seem a lot better than looking at 21 tasks, which can be quite intimidating.

My journal also allows me to track certain things. For example each week I like to put a weekly spending section. I try to keep each week to a budget so I don't go overboard, but if I did have one week where I spent more than the budget it means that the week after I just have less to spend. I also keep track of the exercise I do and the books I read. For my fitness tracker, it is colour coded depending on what type of exercise I do each day. The idea of coloring in each box is extremely satisfactory to me and it makes me want to do exercise just so I can see the tracker full of colours.

I also put little reminders on there. Quick things that don't take long but need to be done (tidy my room). I often find myself really busy but opening up a page and seeing a note which reminds me to do something, is very helpful to me. My journal also acts as something to do or a hobby during the lockdown. I can find myself with lots of spare time and sometimes sitting down with my journal and writing about what I am grateful for or what makes me smile, forces me to productively think about my life and as a result, makes me happy and appreciative.

It's easy to argue that all of this could be done on your phone or through technology, but for me, it isn't the same. Something about a notebook and pen feels so authentic and real. It gives me a chance to take a break from a screen and relax. In my opinion, it's also so much easier to use than technology and it's so easy to find the day or week you need. It also allows you to add your own drawings and colours which feels a lot more fun than staring at a screen. In the future, I cant wait to look back on my past and see all the things I have achieved throughout my life and see how I have changed. Your journal doesn't have to be neat, or perfect as long as you are enjoying it that's all that matters!