Wander & Wonder

Dear Diary

This is my classic, go-to journal for everyday thoughts and moments. I use it to jot down anything from how my day went to random feelings or things that happened. I really try to let the pen flow on the page without really thinking about what to write. It’s a really great way to get everything out of your mind, and I find that it helps a lot to process how I feel about certain things.

Reflections & Reminders Journal

This is just a little journal where I write down things that left an impact on me. This can be quotes that I found inspirational, something my friends said, or just a thought I had that I don’t want to forget. For example, the other day it hit me how often we’re thrown into uncomfortable situations throughout medical school. I tend to overthink those moments, which only makes them feel worse. So in my journal I wrote down, “the goal is to be comfortable with the uncomfortable”, to remind myself that it is completely normal for medical school to feel this way. It also helps me to stay grounded and encourages me to accept those moments rather than overthinking them.

Scrapbook Journal

In this journal, I make little drawings, paste in magazine cut-outs, old movie tickets—basically anything that sparks a bit of creativity or things that make me smile when I look at them!

Gratitude Journal

As the name suggests, my Gratitude Journal is where I take a few minutes to recognize the things that made me feel thankful that day. It’s so easy to get caught up in what went wrong and forget all the good moments. Writing down just two or three things each day helps me stay grounded and reminds me of how much goodness there is to appreciate.

Med School Journal

The journey through medical school is as challenging as it is rewarding. In my Med School Journal, I document meaningful patient interactions and impactful words from residents or doctors. This journal is my personal record of what I love and what I don’t like as much. I hope to be able to refer back to this journal when determining which specialty resonates the most with me!

And that’s it! I hope that some of these ideas spoke to you. Happy journaling!