How can journaling techniques tie into your studies? When you have good journaling skills, those skills can transfer over into note-taking and a better understanding of the content being taught each day. When starting to journal, don’t look at it as a task, however.
Instead, look at it as a way to reflect on the day or refresh your mind. Many people, students alike, take to journaling as a way to improve mental health. Journaling can be a great way to get those thoughts out of your mind and onto paper.
It can also help an anxious person feel less stress, especially when juggling lots of assignments or daily tasks. How can you begin journaling? It’s a good idea to start with knowing a few different ways to journal.
There are many great journaling techniques you can try. Continue reading below to learn a few journaling tips to get you started!
- Gratitude Writing
What is gratitude writing? Gratitude writing is a way to express all of the gratitude you have for things in life. You can do this each morning to start your daily routine or at night.
This type of writing forces you to look into all of the good things that happened during the day and all of the blessings you have each and every day. It’s a good way to boost your mental health, as focusing on positives can help create a positive mindset. In return, you might find yourself in a better mood each day and ready to take on all of your classes with a positive outlook!
- Free Writing
Free writing is a great form of journaling. Free writing is just that, free. You can be free to write whatever you want and however, you want.
There are no rules. You don’t have to follow an outline or write about anything specific. Allow yourself to simply write whatever it is that comes to your mind and jot it down in a way that makes sense to you.
How can this help with your studies? Practicing writing in any way can help with creativity. Once you start free writing on your own, taking notes in class will seem much easier and it’ll flow more naturally.
- List Journaling
List Journaling is exactly what it sounds like. You create lists during your day, which can be shopping lists, to-do lists, and anything else you can think of. You might even want to create a list of assignments due to help you stay organized.
You can use list journaling as a one-time journal entry or something that you add to overtime. For example, you might create a list of places you want to visit before a certain age. As you discover more places, you might add some to the list.
This type of journaling will enhance your organization skills, which come in handy for any student.
- Note Taking
There are several different types of note-taking that students should know about. This method, for example, is one of the more popular methods. You don’t have to use these exact methods when taking personal notes, but if you use them, it can help you get some good practice in.
You can practice note-taking in your journal by taking notes on regular everyday life. Take notes of things that happen around you. Did someone say something that really resonated with you?
Write it down. Did someone give you good information about a local restaurant? Write it down.
Take notes of all sorts of things that happen around you. It’s a great way to reduce stress because it organizes your thoughts, and you won’t have to worry about forgetting the name of that awesome restaurant you were told about.
- Outline Journaling
You can make lists, you can choose a specific note-taking technique, and you can choose to use outlines. When you’re jotting down your thoughts for your journal, you can choose to write them down in the form of an outline. Outlines are one of the most common go-to note-taking methods.
Outlines are easy to create and let your brain take in all of the most important details of something without feeling too overwhelmed. When you create your own outlines when journaling, think of the type of outlines you’d want to use in class. Can you incorporate this into your journaling?
This will help you prepare for in-class note-taking.
- Day Planning Journaling
Another great journaling technique is to plan your day by journaling. Write out each and every task you need to complete for the day. Are there assignments due?
Do you have a doctor’s appointment? How many different places do you need to go to during the day, and what times do you need to be there? Will you need to stop and get gas along the way?
Take into account every single thing you need to do during the day. Plan out your entire day in your journal. If you suffer from anxiety, then this might be a good way to help ease some of it.
- Reflection Journaling
Reflection journaling is when you take the time at the end of your day to look back on everything that’s happened that day. You can reflect on both the good and the bad. This is a good way to process and analyze complex events that might have taken place.
Then, take the time to look back on past events and how you handled the situations to see how much you’ve grown. You can use this same type of journaling when taking notes for class. At the end of the class, reflect on the entire lesson and what you learned.
Which Journaling Techniques Will You Try?
There are many great journaling techniques. Which one will you try? If you try one and don’t care for it, then don’t hesitate to try another until you’ve tried them all!
When you practice journaling at home and for personal reasons, this type of writing and note-taking skill transfer over into your studies, helping you become an even better student than before! To find more topics on education and many other great topics as well, continue to check back here on a daily basis.
