Recently, I’ve had this incessant need to scream. However, I don’t live alone and if I were to scream my parents would have a literal panic attack. So, instead of shortening my parents’ life span, I journal. Although journaling is nowhere near as satisfying as screaming into an empty abyss, it’ll have to do. So for all the times when you want to scream but are unfortunately stuck in a house with other people who will be perturbed, I’ve accumulated some journaling prompts. 

1. Without stopping, erasing, or caring about grammar and spelling, write three pages of exactly what is going through your head.
2. Write down a list of everything that is bothering you.
3. Write a list of every accomplishment and victory you had today, no matter how big or small.
4. What are three things that you are grateful for right now?
5. Make a list of all the things that make you happy, big and small.
6. What is something you are looking forward to?
7. Does your anxiety stem from one major fear or multiple, smaller fears? Can you identify these fears?
8. Is this something you can control? If it is, what are some steps you can take right now to help the situation? Make a list. If it’s not, write down all of the things and emotions you wish to let go of.
9. Make a list of things to do for the rest of the day.
10. Write about something or someone that makes you happy.
11. What is working in your life right now, despite what you may be going through?
12. What are 10 things you can do right now that will make you happy?

It’s confusing and frustrating to feel overwhelmed when there’s no immediate or obvious problem, but nevertheless, it doesn’t take away from the pain you may be experiencing. After the year we just had, I don’t blame anyone for wanting to scream for no reason. However, while screaming can be tremendously healing, you should probably also understand why you’re even screaming in the first place. But if you can’t understand what you’re feeling and just want to vent, then I hope these prompts can help you just as much as they’ve helped me. But even if journaling doesn’t help calm the anxieties you may be feeling, it’s always good to be aware of your emotions. Additionally, make sure you utilize the mental health resources UC Berkeley has to offer. So if you can scream then scream, but if you can’t, then you can whip out your super cute journal and write away.