Campus Recreation holds wellness writing events
Journaling could be a great stress reliever for students to practice. Photo by Grace DeSanti.
If you find your mind racing, filled with stress and panic and are looking for a way to help calm your thoughts, you may benefit from wellness journaling.
Every Friday. a group of students gathers to practice wellness journaling through the University of Rhode Island’s campus recreation.
Wellness journaling is an opportunity for students to engage with their inner thoughts and shift their focus from the stress of the world around them by reflecting on their thoughts and feelings at that moment.
By journaling, you are practicing mindfulness, which is a way to become more aware of not only what goes on in your head but also understanding how that affects you, fitness and wellness specialist at the Campus Recreation Center Denise Robin said.
According to Robin, there are a lot of benefits to practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness increases your ability to focus and brings your attention inward, which quiets what goes on in your brain and can increase positive thoughts while decreasing negative thoughts.
“For the most part, mindful activities are many of the activities we’re doing anyway, we just do them in a mindful manner,” Robin said. “So, rather than thinking about all those external things, it brings your attention inward.”
This past year has called for greater attention in coping with stress, and becoming more mindful is an outlet that can help you get through daily life while living through a pandemic.
“Maybe there is a bit more of a need for [mindfulness], or people are feeling more of a need for it [mindfulness] more so than is the past,” Robin said. “We’re really proud that we’re able to provide that outlet.”
Senior Brielle Michner is an instructor for Be Well Journaling this semester. Last year she started daily journaling in December as a way to be more mindful while dealing with the stress of college life.
Michner believes that daily journaling is something that can become really fun.
“Sometimes I’ll ask one of my friends to pick a random day and I’ll tell you what I did that day,” said Michner of how daily journaling has allowed her to keep track of her activites.
Daily journaling, for Michner, has been helpful in grounding herself. She is able to keep an archive of her life and reflect on the greater picture that the stressors that she faces at one time will come and go, which has allowed her to become more positive.
Michner believes that there is more interest in reflecting now, especially with the current pandemic.
“People have had more time for themselves,” she said.
She attributes that having a group environment as a place to practice mindfulness can be really helpful in getting through tough times, and creating bonds through it all as well.
If you would like to find out more about mindfulness you can sign up for Be Well journaling through IMLeagues to work towards stress reduction and positivity through these tough times.
Be Well Journaling classes are held at 4:30 p.m every Friday in the Botanical Gardens on campus, weather permitting.