On Journaling

Ava Cai

July 17, 2026

We’ve all experienced a time when we felt stuck, to put it simply; whether that be navigating a difficult decision or struggling to balance out our relationships. In most instances, our “stuckness” exceeds us during a transitional period in our lives, when the body and mind know they no longer control routines that once felt so familiar. As a person who just graduated high school and is tumbling through this “pivotal” summer before college, I’m going through this exact phase. Now don’t get me wrong; I am ecstatic to start my college journey and make new friends and memories, but the two months between my senior graduation and college orientation feel like a waiting room granted with way too much freedom. I can go wherever I want, do whatever I please, and see whoever wants to see me, and that’s exactly what makes me feel so strangely tethered. 

Fortunately, summer break means there’s plenty of time to inconsequentially sort through my thoughts, which I have taken on physically through journaling. I’m not a stranger to sitting through my thoughts, but writing them down on paper was a new formative experience that allowed me to try to unravel my emotions—to figure out what exactly I’m feeling and why—and here’s my conclusion: 

Journaling is as great as people say it is; expressive writing improves immune health as well as heart health by reducing perceived stress and improving sleep quality. Obviously, these words meant very little to me before I started journaling—just statistics on a page that were easier to read than believe. They sounded convincing in theory, but distant from my own experiences. My perspective changed a few weeks back when I first put my thoughts on paper, and what started as an attempt to clear my head became something much more meaningful. 

I must admit, journaling did not directly fix my worries (like the one mentioned above), but it definitely addressed them. I realized that as we are constantly seeking advice from others—teachers, parents, influencers, celebrities, even strangers on the internet—we often dismiss the voice that matters most: our own. Journaling provided a space for me to hear my own thoughts. It never has to be something grand and magnificent, and it doesn’t even have to take up a full page. It can be as simple as opening a blank page and allowing yourself to listen. 

Readers, as you’ve probably noticed by now, I’m not going to pull a grand solution to “stuckness” out of my black hat, because I frankly don’t have one. However, I do hope journaling can open solutions that are tailored to your own. After all, writing out your thoughts will not repair a relationship or help map out the next five years of your life, but it can quiet the noise around you and let your own voice take control.