I recently started using “The Five Minute Journal” almost solely off of seeing Emma Watson recommend one in a Youtube video, which I guess says something about me and my love for Harry Potter (that still exists after all this time). According to the journal, you are supposed to write in it every day for at least five days. This is supposed to get you into the habit of daily journaling, yet I struggle to write once a week … yikes. It’s something I need to prioritize. For the journal, you list three things you are grateful for, three things that would make the day great and a daily affirmation in the morning, followed by highlights and what you learned, at night. I’ll take this time to share some highlights that you can choose to take or leave, because IT’S TIME FOR SELF CARE, Y’ALL. At least this way I’ll get my weekly journaling in. Here we go!
I am grateful for …
- Music. Specifically, Zendaya’s voice. Her singing is so incredible. I am constantly talking about how she should release another album. I mean … Replay, Rewrite the Stars, All for Us and let’s not forget the most incredible masterpiece of all time — “Something To Dance For/TTYLXOX” mashup. Go rewatch it. Reward yourself.
- The creativity of my friends. They are the best problem solvers I know. Are you stuck at the dining hall and want to take some random cereal back to your dorm, yet don’t have a bag? NO FEAR, my friend. Find the nearest box of plastic gloves and fill with cereal and tie at the end. Now, you are prepared for an emergency if anyone desperately needs cereal, or a hand for a sculpture project. You never know.
- The support of my family. Who else will tell me I’m crazy when I text them incredibly important philosophical findings such as “long socks are turtlenecks for the feet” or “I just wrote the plot of a Hallmark movie … want to guess how it ends????”
- Not getting mac and cheese at Modern Market. I have the witness of my sister to support the fact that it tastes ~vintage.~ Approach carefully. Would recommend a London Fog latte with extra lavender instead.
- Wear some butterfly earrings. I swear that they are magical and will help you get through the day without things going too badly.
- Learn a new skill. Maybe dancing? TikTok dances? Kpop dances? Rock climbing? Painting? Learn how to do Euphoria inspired makeup looks? Who knows?
Be brave enough to be bad at something. The fear of failure has pushed me back from doing things that actually turned out to be really fun or allowed me to meet new and incredible people. It’s OK to look like you don’t know what you’re doing, even if you play the violin for dorm mass in the wrong key and everyone knows it was you, because you were the only one playing, and it was incredibly embarrassing. Or, if you haven’t danced since March of 2020, and decided to pick it up again after WAY too long, without stretching. You got this! Embarrassing moments equal good stories to tell your future kids.
You can contact Claire at ckirner@nd.edu.
