Sometimes I think about this (in case you were wondering what I ponder in my free time): 

We are moving so fast. 

We are moving so fast. 

I’ll say it again for the people in the back: 

We are moving so fast. 

Let me explain. 

When my friends and I are feeling reflective (or completely overwhelmed), we talk about how much happens in a single day of college. Part-time jobs, classes, internships, sorority house / dorms / apartment responsibilities and encounters, tests, presentations, workouts, coffee dates, actual dates, meetings, events—each surrounding different subjects and organizations, and each thinking they are the most important part of our lives and focus. No pressure, right?

In many ways, this is true of all ages, across all disciplines. A lot can happen in a single day. We can find out the best of news, the worst of news, be invited to the party, rejected by the job, encouraged by an Instagram post we see, or trapped in the comparison game as we scroll. So many things, so quickly. There’s seldom time to sit and think about the things flashing before our eyes. 

It’s a lot to process. And I’ve learned—the hard way—that if I’m not playing an active role in processing what I think and feel about the events, relationships, and circumstances taking priority in my life, I get consumed with anxiety, complacency, or discontentment. The more that I feel and the less I acknowledge it, the more pressure is contained inside of me, waiting for a sign of light, or worse, some sort of explosion.  

There’s one tried and true trick that helps me get in the rhythm of connecting with myself and managing my emotions. Get ready, because it’s really original and unconventional. Wink, wink. 

Journaling. 

That’s right, sister. It’s time to dust off the notebook someone gifted you for Christmas two years ago and crack open the cover. It’s go time. 

The beautiful thing about journaling is that it’s totally up to you (and it’s free!). Your time, your needs, your space. It’s one of the best practices to not only help navigate and deal with our season of life + feelings, but it’s one of the best ways to even acknowledge what it is we’re feeling in that season. We can’t make a game plan to manage our sadness, hurt, or disappointment if we don’t know that we’re sad, hurt, or disappointed. 

Journaling has its many perks, but I would like to add that it’s not a replacement for real-life conversations with close friends or a therapist. There’s a time and place for both conversations about our emotional health and our own introspective reflections about it; we need both. But journaling can be great preparation for those conversations. Those cute notebooks can always come in handy (more on the cute notebooks later). 

Even when I have a lot of thoughts swirling around my mind, sometimes I stare at the blank page and don’t know where to start or what to say. Do I have to write down everything from beginning to end? Who am I writing to? What am I trying to get out of this? Do I have to start this with the iconic salutation, Dear Diary?

First of all—there are no should’s or have-to’s in the art of journaling. This is your space and time to be completely free, unfiltered, and safe. Here are a few ideas and bits of encouragement to get you going (or get you back into the frivolous world of unfilled pages). 

What you *don’t* need

A fancy notebook or name-brand pen. I’m never opposed to a good-looking journal—trust me— but it’s simply not a vital part of this process. The only thing that will get in the way of us doing the work is us not doing the work. For whatever reason. And not having a cute journal is just one reason we procrastinate doing the hard work of writing down our thoughts, feelings, questions, and prayers. So let’s not allow that to keep us from thriving mental health and stability any longer, okay?

Say it how it is

Sometimes I catch myself trying to make things (my thoughts, situations, feelings, etc.) sound better than they really are. It’s hard to admit when things are just hard. I get so uncomfortable with unpleasant or less-than-cheery feelings. But sugar-coating our feelings will not help us accomplish anything other than beginning to rot the authenticity in our relationships with God. When I catch myself doing this, I will draw a line through what I just wrote and start again. Let’s just cut to the chase. Realistically, we’re the only people that will ever read it, so there is nothing to hide here, and we won’t get to the root of what we’re feeling or thinking without showing up, full spectrum of emotions and all. Courage and vulnerability: most definitely required. 

Remove the pressure before starting

Filling one page, five pages, or 500 pages is not the goal. Processing where you stand today, though, most certainly is. Nobody is waiting on the other end of your journaling with a red pen. As much as you can, as often as you can, let your stream of thoughts flow onto the page without filtering for better word choice or sentence structure. Just let it happen. It’s the best way to get to the good stuff.  

And another hard part of this process: If you don’t feel like you can claim the title “writer” (which, by the way, you totally can), the blank page is intimidating. Heck, the blank page is intimidating to me and I’m studying copywriting! Finding a starting point can be overwhelming, and the whole point of this is to sort through other things that may make us overwhelmed—not add to that list. I’ve compiled some of my favorite prompts and ideas for when I’m in a rut or want to start fresh with my journaling habits. 

Prompts 

• What happened today / this week? 

• What stood out the most? 

• How do I feel about that?

• What am I most excited about in the foreseeable future?

• What is going well right now?

• What has the hardest part of this week been?

• What am I waiting for to change? 

• What do I need right now?

• What is God teaching me in this season?

• How do I want to grow?

• What kind of person do I want to be in one week, month, and year?

• What needs to take priority in this season?

• Who needs to take priority in this season?

• What lies am I believing?

• Which of God’s qualities have I experienced recently?

• What fears are underlying this feeling?

• I need help with…

• I’m feeling anxious about…

• My favorite things about God are…

Ideas

• Write a single Bible verse at the top of the page and write your unfiltered thoughts about it. 

• Jot down the beautiful things you saw, experienced, or felt that day. 

• Commit to one week of journaling for 15 minutes before bed—no phone, no noise. 

• Carry a journal with you in your purse, backpack, or car. You never know when you’ll want to grab a pen and capture a thought.

• Plan a journal date with a friend at a cute coffee shop. 

• Read an old journal or entry every once and a while to see how far you’ve come. 

I hope these prompts and ideas are helpful to you. Comment or DM me your favorite practices and what works best for you when it comes to journaling—I’m always trying to learn more! And if you need a cute notebook recommendation, I’ve got you covered (but remember—not essential). I’m praying for you and your time with the Lord + notebook this week; happy journaling!