After hundreds of videos of influencers promoting products, movie clips and memes, one video caught my eye on my For You Page (FYP) on TikTok.
It was a video of someone creating a leather bind for their journal, explaining their thought process and choice of materials as they finished their bind.
Unlike the average TikTok comment section, comments in this video were optimistic, each explaining and connecting over their own personal journaling experiences.
The comment section was filled with people posting pictures of their own personal journals. These pictures were not in an attempt to one-up the creator, but instead to showcase the user’s work, similar to the way artists display their artwork in a gallery.
Shortly after, my feed was flooded with journaling TikToks. From other user’s experiences, journaling seemed a way for people to let out any internal emotions and conflicts in their mind.
Furthermore, it seemed that these people also felt more in control of their lives after writing once a day.
From Monday through Friday, I decided to write at least once a day in my own journal to see if the mental benefit is worth the time investment.
Each entry would be based on whatever was on my mind that day. After each entry, I rated my happiness level on a scale of one to 10 to see if my quality of life increased at the end of the week.
Monday – “Starting the Cycle”
On Monday, I purchased a small, grey journal and metal ballpoint pen from Robin’s Nest Bookshoppe, located at 218 E. Lincoln Highway.
As a mechatronics engineering student, it was difficult to find the time to sit down and write. Lately, my classes have been flooding me with assignments, tests, labs and projects.
Yet, between the chaos of class, I managed to find a gap to write. I didn’t write anything complex today. Instead, I wrote the things I was grateful for today including my family, friends and home.
I would rate my happiness a four out of 10.
Tuesday – “Embracing Solitude”
After coming home from a long day of classes, I sat outside with my dogs and instinctively started writing in my journal, listening to music as I wrote my second entry.
This entry was about embracing being alone. Though I have been an only child my whole life, I never struggled making friends, and I find it difficult to process the idea of being alone.
Writing quickly filled each page, describing feelings of loneliness and seeking connection. Though I have met some wonderful people after transferring to NIU in 2025, there are some days when I still feel out of place.
As I finished writing this entry, a realization entered my mind. I wrote it down on the page:
“Solitude is something that shouldn’t be feared, but instead embraced when it arrives.”
I would rate my happiness this day a three out of 10.
Wednesday – “Homesickness”
Lately, the bipolar weather of Illinois has made me miss my first two years of college in south Florida.
In this entry, I wrote about the feeling of being homesick. It was ironic, as my home is in Illinois. Yet, in my eyes, I see south Florida as a second home.
It’s a weird feeling being a person who has changed in a place where people know you for who you used to be.
In my journal, I wrote that “It’s difficult to come to terms with the fact that I am back in a state I tried so hard to get away from. Yet, it comes easier knowing that I can still be the person who I grew into today.”
I would rate my happiness this day a four out of 10.
Thursday – “Productivity”
As an engineering student, I spend most of my time attempting to be as productive as possible. However, this productivity causes immense stress in my life as I attempt to juggle my personal life, work and school.
In this brief entry, I wrote about the weight of being productive and how it is becoming increasingly difficult to take time to focus on myself.
In exchange for good grades and a job that pays well, my mental health has been taking a toll.
I would rate my happiness this day a five out of 10.
Friday – “Continuing the Cycle”
After I changed into my work clothes, I wrote down one final entry. I reflected on my previous entries and wrote down my thoughts on each.
After writing down my thoughts, I wrote down three things that I was grateful for today, such as my job, family and dogs.
Lastly, I wrote down what I am hopeful for in the future, including graduation and entering the workforce.
I would rate my happiness this day a seven out of 10.
Final thoughts: Is it worth the time?
While my happiness did increase throughout the week, it is hard to tell if it was directly impacted from journaling.
While writing in a journal did help ease my mind, it is not equivalent to talking to a therapist or counselor. Rather than only writing or seeing a therapist, it may be more beneficial to do both.
Writing in a journal allows someone to visualize and let out emotions, but talking to a licensed therapist or counselor allows someone to communicate how they’re feeling and help validate their emotions.
If you or someone you know is interested in receiving counseling at NIU, call 815-753-1206 to schedule a consultation. You can also visit Togetherall for convenient, online mental health support from other students.
I can understand why there is a community for journaling. Journaling is relaxing and freeing, and each person has the freedom to write about whatever is on their mind.
It serves as a way to express their feelings out loud without having someone judging them.
For myself, this week of journaling taught me that it’s OK to not be OK. Through writing about what was bugging me, I learned to express my emotions rather than keeping them in the back of my mind.
