How I Improved My Mental Health with Daily Journaling (Mostly)

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Tired Student Life: Journal, Coffee & Motivational Chaos
Tired Student Life: Journal, Coffee & Motivational Chaos

How Daily Journaling Kinda Saved My Mental Health (And Also, I Still Cry in the Shower Sometimes)

Let’s be real – daily journaling for mental health wasn’t some magical cure for my anxiety. But when I started scribbling my unfiltered thoughts each morning (usually while spilling coffee), something shifted. My $5 notebook became where I dumped everything from existential dread to my irrational hatred of slow walkers – and weirdly, it helped.

Why I Started (Aka Rock Bottom Looked Cute)

  • My therapist gently suggested it after I described my brain as “a Netflix homepage with nothing good to watch.”
  • I was tired of screaming into my Notes app (RIP my algorithm, now convinced I’m a true crime podcast).
  • I needed proof I wasn’t completely losing it (jury’s still out, tbh).
Anxitey: My First Journal Entry Typo
Anxitey: My First Journal Entry Typo

My Very Flawed Routine

  • I skip days. Sometimes weeks. Shrug emoji.
  • My handwriting devolves into hieroglyphics when I’m upset (last week’s entry: “?????? !!!!!! -> sandwich”).
  • I accidentally wrote a grocery list mid-entry once (“Process trauma… also buy eggs”).
Sad Taco Diary: A Tired Tale on a Sticky Notes
Sad Taco Diary: A Tired Tale on a Sticky Notes

Surprising Ways It Helped (Even When I Half-Assed It)

  1. I realized 80% of my anxiety was just ✨overthinking✨ (the other 20% is capitalism).
  2. Found out I hate writing about feelings – so now I write fake Yelp reviews about my moods (“1 star: This depression has terrible ambiance”).
  3. Discovered my “tell” – if my entries start with “ok so,” disaster is imminent.

Outbound link: NIH study on journaling & stress (See? I research sometimes!)

Tips If You’re Also a Hot Mess

  • Bullet points are your friend (Example: “• Existential dread • Ate chips • Texted ex (???)”).
  • Burn it, shred it, or dunk it in coffee – catharsis comes in many forms.
  • Try “unsend letters” – write texts/emails you’ll never send (“Dear guy who cut in line at Starbucks…”).
Purr-fectly Paw-some Journal: Cat Co-Authored Notes
Purr-fectly Paw-some Journal: Cat Co-Authored Notes

Final Thought (From One Imperfect Human)

Daily Journaling for Mental Health won’t fix everything (I still stress-eat Goldfish crackers at 2 a.m.). But it’s like a brain colander – pours out the nonsense so you’re left with… slightly less nonsense. And honestly? That’s enough.