The Most Effective Journaling Techniques To Try

Student life brings a variety of unique stresses with it, from studying new subjects to juggling school with your personal life. If you are beginning to crumble under that stress, consider using a journal to get your thoughts in order.

There are plenty of effective journaling techniques you can try to get your thoughts organized. It doesn’t have to be a daily diary of feelings if you don’t want it to! Pick up a pen and paper and give these techniques a spin.

Habit Tracking

College is a great time to build positive habits to carry with you into adulthood. Pick up a journal with graph or dot-grid paper and create weekly trackers for habits you’d like to pick up. Common practices to track include:

• Drinking eight glasses of water every day
• Building a workout routine
• Studying and completing coursework on time

The TLC Method

Do you find yourself getting caught up in the negatives of your life? When you’re stressed out, it can be difficult to escape those thought spirals—but not impossible. The TLC method stands for Thank, Learn, Connect.

Thank

Every day, think of something in your life to be thankful for. Maybe you had a really great cup of coffee that morning. Perhaps you got an essay back from your professor with a high grade and plenty of praise. Write down at least one thing each day that you are grateful for!

Learn

As a student, you’re always learning new things—why not write down one that resonated with you? Writing down the things you learn helps them stick in your mind. The things you learn don’t have to be in the classroom, either! Maybe you learned a new route to take to class or a new word in a language you’re unfamiliar with.

Connect

Write about the new people you meet and form connections with! Did you chat with a professor about a particularly good lesson? Are you getting to know your classmates better? Tell your journal about at least one connection you make every day.

Visual Journaling

Keeping a journal is great for your mental health, whether you write in words, doodles, or elaborate illustrations. Visual journaling combines these different methods of putting your thoughts to paper!

If you’re a visual learner, try incorporating illustrations into your daily journal entry. They don’t have to be stellar—after all, they’re for your benefit, not an art show. Drawing and coloring in the privacy of those pages allow you to tap into creative muscles you may not often use in your coursework. It will let you have fun while decompressing at the end of the day.

Have you heard about the many benefits of keeping a journal but don’t feel those benefits when writing in it like a regular diary? Give these effective journaling techniques a try. Those pages are just for your eyes, so fill them in a way that resonates with you!

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