From the moment you wake up to the moment you fall asleep, your mind buzzes with a myriad of connections, information, and calculations. Especially as students, there are countless responsibilities to manage all while making enjoyable memories with friends and family. In the process of building your best fit lifestyle, it’s easy to ignore or even become numb to your thoughts and emotions. That’s why I encourage you to write a “note to self.
What I call “note to self” is a simple method of de-stressing by pouring your thoughts out onto a piece of paper, notebook, or even a digital notepad. Whether you're facing dilemmas in making important decisions or anxious about arising challenges, spilling out the heavy anchors from your mind is vital to maintaining your mental health.
Like outlining an essay, debriefing your thoughts out on paper gives clarity.
Instead of battling complex thoughts within yourself, it’s far more productive to write (or type!) out what exactly you are struggling with or thinking. By forcing yourself to express what’s inside, you organize your disassembled thoughts, understand what you're really feeling inside, and realize which steps to take forward. Furthermore, writing to yourself and only for yourself about anything you want gives a sense of wonderful catharsis. Your thoughts, concerns, and emotions become tangible through words and papers.
However, I would argue the best thing about writing a “note to self” is the opportunity you have to reflect on yourself. Over months and years, you essentially create a portfolio of writing that reveals how you have matured as an individual. Reading old notes help you recall the challenges you successfully overcame, memories you built with loved ones, experiences that molded you, and most importantly the trend of your mental and emotional growth. You have the resources to track how your thought process has altered, outlook on certain situations have transformed, and personality has slowly but surely changed.
Key point: Remember this is all for yourself. There’s no pressure to write one note per week or one per month. This is just a space for you to share your crowding thoughts onto paper whenever and wherever you are. Turn on some lofi music and write away to let out anything building up within you. Despite rigorous school schedules, don’t forget to acknowledge your thoughts and feelings. Give your brain a break!
We hope you enjoyed this article. For more content on how to find your academic success, check out some of our articles here on StarryScholar. If you have any questions/comments, feel free to leave them in our “Community Discussion” tab, or email us at @[email protected]! Remember, you got this ☆
Like outlining an essay, debriefing your thoughts out on paper gives clarity.
Instead of battling complex thoughts within yourself, it’s far more productive to write (or type!) out what exactly you are struggling with or thinking. By forcing yourself to express what’s inside, you organize your disassembled thoughts, understand what you're really feeling inside, and realize which steps to take forward. Furthermore, writing to yourself and only for yourself about anything you want gives a sense of wonderful catharsis. Your thoughts, concerns, and emotions become tangible through words and papers.
However, I would argue the best thing about writing a “note to self” is the opportunity you have to reflect on yourself. Over months and years, you essentially create a portfolio of writing that reveals how you have matured as an individual. Reading old notes help you recall the challenges you successfully overcame, memories you built with loved ones, experiences that molded you, and most importantly the trend of your mental and emotional growth. You have the resources to track how your thought process has altered, outlook on certain situations have transformed, and personality has slowly but surely changed.
Key point: Remember this is all for yourself. There’s no pressure to write one note per week or one per month. This is just a space for you to share your crowding thoughts onto paper whenever and wherever you are. Turn on some lofi music and write away to let out anything building up within you. Despite rigorous school schedules, don’t forget to acknowledge your thoughts and feelings. Give your brain a break!
We hope you enjoyed this article. For more content on how to find your academic success, check out some of our articles here on StarryScholar. If you have any questions/comments, feel free to leave them in our “Community Discussion” tab, or email us at @[email protected]! Remember, you got this ☆