I’ve been trying to find better ways to deal with stress and overthinking, and one thing that keeps coming up is writing things down. I sometimes write about whatever is on my mind when I’m feeling overwhelmed, and it does seem to help me organize my thoughts a little.

I’ve looked at a few different resources for this. I’ve used Grammarly when I’m writing longer things because it helps me clean up the wording, and I’ve also come across Scribbr and CollegeEssay.org while looking for general writing and journaling resources. I know they’re mainly associated with academic writing, so I’m not sure whether they’re actually useful for personal reflection or whether I’m just overthinking the whole thing.

I’ve also seen people recommend apps like Day One and journaling prompts as a way of making writing more consistent. The problem I have is that sometimes writing helps me get things out of my head, but other times I end up analyzing the same problem even more.

For people who journal regularly, has it actually helped you with stress or overthinking? Do you just write whatever comes to mind, or do you follow specific prompts or a particular method?

I’d be interested to hear what has worked for other people, especially if you started journaling because you were feeling overwhelmed rather than because you already enjoyed writing.