Between my seventh and twelfth birthdays, I received enough journals as gifts to fill an entire bookshelf. I remember how each year, after finishing unwrapping six more sparkly notebooks to add to my collection, I would gaze dreamily at the stack while imagining how one day I would fill each and every page with my most elegant Mia Thermopolis-esque writing. Unfortunately, I never got there. The most I ever filled of any of the notebooks was the first page, usually just with a sentence or two introducing myself and explaining how I didn’t “have anything to add for right now, but tomorrow I’ll write more!” Now, seven years later, I have finally fulfilled my long-coveted dream of being a religious diarist. Journaling has proven to be even more beneficial than I imagined in my tween years. Not only does journaling make me feel romantic like all of the diary novel characters I idolized growing up; it also provides a place where I can filter my thoughts without any risk. It generally just makes me feel healthier, mentally and physically.
In fact, this isn’t just true for me. Recent studies have shown that journaling for 20 to 30 minutes everyday can significantly lower our levels of cortisol (the stress hormone). Additionally, evidence shows that it strengthens our immune cells, therefore lowering our daily risk of getting sick. Besides these health benefits, having a journal gives you an opportunity to re-process your experiences if you didn’t get a chance to before. Plus, because only you decide the “rules” about your journal writing, it can be a very liberating experience if you have recently been overloaded with structured writing for schoolwork. If you’ve forgotten how much you love writing, it can help you remember.
Now, it’s your turn. Here are some tips on how to start your own journal:
1. Buy a notebook.
You can also start with something you have lying around your room, but it might give you more motivation if you make a little investment. Find one that is pretty enough that you want to be with it all day, but make sure it’s not so pretty that you don’t want to “ruin” it with your writing. Maybe even make it your own by decorating it! I like to keep it simple with a classic notebook from Moleskine, but if you want something with a pretty design on the front, go for it! Also try keep in mind the number of pages; you might want something super thick so you’re really committing, but you might also want to consider one that is thin so you can make a practical goal of finishing it.
2. Decide on some rules for yourself so you won’t back out.
Start small, maybe with just one line a day. You could even try embodying Massie from The Clique by making two lists each day of what’s in and what’s out…or what you didn’t like about the day and what you did. Whatever you do, don’t set goals for yourself that you know you can’t immediately reach.
3. Start writing, ASAP!
There’s no time like the present … get to work!
4. Try not to be too hard on yourself.
If you miss a day or two, don’t sweat it. Don’t feel like you need to “fill in” your journal about what you missed; it’s fine to just skip ahead to the current day if that’s what you feel like doing.
Good luck!
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