Writing alone is one of the most foundational and effective ways to accomplish a litany of things. To start, writing clears your head. Most nights, I get a solid 6-8 hours of rolling around, hot, then cold, then hot again, until I finally can rest and fall asleep. One night, when I couldn’t bear the racing thoughts boiling in my mind anymore, I whipped out my computer and just started writing. I have no idea what I ended up writing, but I do remember immediately feeling much more relaxed, almost as if someone had drained all the little details of the day and anxieties for tomorrow that were clogging my brain. Writing is arguably the best outlet for frustration, stress, and confusion, as it forces us to confront our thoughts head-on while also relieving the stress that comes from keeping everything closed off inside. Writing not only allows us to release those pent-up thoughts but also understand, organize, and filter through them till we find clarity. My senior year, multiple incidents occurred on my speech and debate team that was quite unsettling and isolating. In the months following, I went through denial, anger, shock, and finally felt resolved after I poured my heart out into my CommonApp essay. I wrote and wrote and wrote about the event and how it impacted me. I learned so much about myself and about the incidents. It also brought me comfort and closure and ultimately writing the essay was how I shifted back to my better self. I was finally able to alleviate the frustration and misunderstandings, all because I unleashed everything I was feeling onto paper. While it may not work the same for everyone, picking up the pen and just putting your thoughts down can completely shift your mindset and allow you to understand multiple perspectives. Been going through it lately? Get to writing. You’ll feel better in an hour.