Wellbeing Journal
"Ups and downs at University are inevitable, so it's important to learn how to manage your own wellbeing."
We created the Wellbeing Journal because we wanted you to have everything you need in one place to support you from both an academic and wellbeing perspective. Use your Journal to plan your work and your self-care, keep tabs on your spending and to reflect on your student experience.
Your free physical copy of the Journal is available to collect from the reception areas of major buildings including the two Libraries. You can also access an online version via MyLJMU (website and app), just click on “My Course” and then “My Journal”.
How to Get the Most Out of Your Journal
- Keep your journal safe. If you are using the physical journal, avoid adding personal information such as your name, address or phone number in case it gets lost.
- Try to write something in your journal each day or at least once per week. You can use the prompts as a guide or use the journal to reflect in whatever way works best for you.
- Create a calm environment for journaling, you might want to put on relaxing music and get a hot drink.
- Take part in the Monthly Meditations by scanning the QR codes that appear throughout the journal and book your place on one of our group guided journaling sessions - visit Student Advice and Wellbeing
- With your Personal Tutor you can use your journal as a prompt to discuss any issues you are experiencing
- Don’t forget there is an online version of the journal available on My LJMU if you would prefer to keep a digital journal.
How Can Journaling Help Me?
The idea of the journal came from students in the School of Education. Student Advice and Wellbeing have co-designed this latest LJMU-wide version with students and academics. We want you to be able to flourish and thrive and we believe this journal can play a part in this.
Messages from our student interns
I am passionate about supporting the use of journal writing for personal and academic growth. I have previously worked in the Psychological Therapies (IAPT) services that supports people with common mental health difficulties. We found that documenting personal experience in a journal was the ultimate tool for understanding who you are and how you can support, track, log and explore your own thoughts in a safe space.
Journaling was a discipline that I had rarely engaged with until I became a university student. It has helped me to structure my thoughts, reflect upon successes and identify areas for improvement. The magical thing about this living document is in its capacity to be repurposed as either an academic or social journal. This means that this journal is for you - no matter how you use a journal. I would wholeheartedly recommend that you trial the different ways that you can use this journal to see how it benefits you.
I started journaling when I first became a student. This helped me organise the assignment dates that I had been given and things in my daily life to make sure I was having enough sleep, exercise, and free time, while still getting my work done. Journaling also allowed me to keep track of the budget I had created as I wrote down my income, bills and spending each week/month. Staying organised lowered my stress levels (especially during exam seasons) and I noticed a big improvement in my mental health when I started doing this.
Further Wellbeing Support
Student Advice and Wellbeing are here to help you with any issues you are having at University that are affecting your wellbeing and/or your mental health.
You’re not on your own at LJMU, we’re here to support you. Our Self-Help webpages contain lots of useful information to support you.