Throughout this winter break, I found myself constantly reading and writing, but it didn’t really feel the same as it once did.
Although these are activities I typically enjoy doing, I found myself burnt out from the previous semester, yet I still had to keep going to remain successful throughout the wintermester course I was taking.
The fall semester was pretty intense for me, so I had been looking forward to taking a break from my duties at the Torch and with school. I knew it wasn’t a good sign that I was no longer looking forward to my academics or even writing, which was something I once loved.
We all need a break sometimes, but I had already reached my breaking point.
I found myself becoming saddened when it came time to start reading the material and taking notes for the week, letting it eat up the downtime I did have between assignments, questioning if I was doing enough. While reflecting on this, I realized something: It had been quite some time since I had done any reading or writing for myself.
From there on out, I made sure to spend the rest of my break taking time to start writing whenever I felt overwhelmed or like I wasn’t doing enough.
By filling this time in with my journal and pen, I was able to empty my thoughts and feelings from my head and leave them on paper.
Doing this gave me a sense of fulfilment and reassurance. I was surprised by how much better I felt after just taking an hour to write for myself.
I found myself enjoying this process of writing again. Taking the way I feel about something and using words to express it across the lines on the paper made me feel excited and like I was actually creating something meaningful, despite no one being there to read it.
In some way, I really was clearing the thoughts and emotions that plagued my mind and was storing them in my journal, somewhere that only I had access to.
This sense of clarity is one of the main reasons why I advocate for writing, even if it is something you don’t think you are good at. You don’t have to be exceptional at reading or writing to take what you are feeling and express it on paper.
The best part for me was feeling relieved from these thoughts and building these positive habits that help me keep stress, anxiety and emotions regulated throughout the day.
Don’t just take it from me. There is even research that suggests journaling will help you control emotions and improve mental health.
The University of Rochester Medical Center cites many improvements for your own well-being, being as managing anxiety, reducing stress and even coping with depression.
If you are someone who struggles with controlling some of these emotions, the URMC says actively journaling your thoughts and feelings can help you prioritize problems, fears and concerns. Not only will it help with managing those overwhelming feelings but it can help you identify triggers that may be causing these feelings to arise.
This is where the aspect of journaling has benefited me. By putting my thoughts out on paper, I was able to see how little there actually was to be stressed about or anxious of.
At the end of my journals, I typically like to follow the URMC’s last tip, which is to provide myself an opportunity to practice positive self-talk. Anyone who knows me knows I have struggled with this for so long.
These journals I create give me the sense of security and belonging that I need. I realized I am doing everything I can and I won’t be able to solve every single one of my problems at once.
I decided to discuss this topic for my first column of the year because I knew there were others out there who felt like they weren’t doing enough with their time, either.
One thing I enjoy doing in my free time is going back and reading previous editors’ columns from the Torch. Not only does it inspire me but it also allows me to tap in and attempt to get a glimpse of what some of my former editors-in-chief were thinking about.
While looking through the opinions section, I came across an article from Jessica Okaes, who was our EIC in the 2023-24 academic year.
A line that really stood out to me from her article was: “I find it too easy to fall into a cycle where I’m too tired outside of work and school to be active with my time. We become passive consumers every hour we aren’t productive for someone else.”
When it comes to writing and artistic endeavors, she is someone I have always looked up to throughout my time at the Torch.
Reading this line over made me realize I have the power to be proactive with my team and create meaningful work that I can be proud of, whether it is written for academics or for my own mental clarity.
Writing brought me back to myself when I needed it most. As this semester begins, I’m choosing to protect that space for my own well-being. In choosing to write for myself again, I learned that being proactive doesn’t always mean doing more. Sometimes it means slowing down and creating with intention.