With finals right around the corner, students at NC State are scrambling to revive a semester’s worth of knowledge in only a week’s time. Naturally, with everyone’s brain working in overdrive, students are bound to eventually feel somewhat drained, so the big question is: What can we do to alleviate all this stress? I’m sure most people would agree that spending some time outside is a tried-and-true method for remedying anxiety, but I would like to offer an alternative solution that has helped revitalize my motivation to work on more than one occasion throughout the semester.
Writing, especially when done of one’s own volition, can be a therapeutic experience that gives individuals the chance to remain mindful of their own thoughts and feelings. Considering the circumstances surrounding these last couple weeks of school, being mindful can help us reflect and build the foundation necessary for a thoughtful approach to any task or decision we may face.
The best part about writing is that it isn’t limited to a particular form, so everyone’s experience with it is completely different. Although you might catch me writing the occasional article for Technician, a lot of my time writing is actually spent with music and composition. It’s not that I necessarily enjoy one more than the other, but rather, I find the different mediums allow me to organize my thoughts in different ways.
Writing is inherently versatile. It provides an outlet for people to willingly express themselves in whatever way they see fit at no expense to anything but their time. There’s no right way to do it, and there’s literally no harm in just giving it a shot. Plus, when you take a look at the benefits, it almost seems too good to pass up.
The Cambridge University Press posted a research article in 2018 that documented the emotional and physical benefits of expressive writing. Expressive writing refers to reflecting on experiences that have led to heightened stress or anxiety. The study found that participants who engaged in expressive writing for about 15 to 20 minutes saw “significantly better physical and psychological outcomes” than those who wrote about more neutral topics.
The experiment yielded these results after only 15 to 20 minutes of writing, which just goes to show how low-maintenance this activity can be. Even if it’s only the length of one study break, writing is an essential tool that can help clear your head of any intrusive thoughts. Studying for finals is hard enough as is, so it only makes sense to make the process as easy on yourself as possible.
It’s important, though, to be honest with yourself when engaging in reflection through writing. Even if you don’t end up keeping your work afterwards, just the act of getting words or feelings out on a page can help you better understand your own thoughts, making it easier for you to align yourself with your priorities.
Although finals feel like the real beast at the moment, anxiety is still a constant for many college students. Writing is certainly not a cure-all solution, but it can help alleviate stress every now and again and allow students to better understand their goals and principles through reflection.
Whether you believe writing is the right outlet for you or not, it doesn’t hurt to give it a chance. About 15 to 20 minutes is all it takes to put pen to paper and start recognizing the fine inner workings of your thought process. So if you happen to find yourself with a little bit of free time, open up a notebook or journal and start jotting down your thoughts. It won’t hurt, and I can almost guarantee you’ll learn a thing or two about yourself in the process.
