Remember back in middle school when we all kept a “secret” diary, the one place where we could write down our deepest thoughts and darkest secrets? Do you also remember how all of that fell away in high school, especially after the introduction of social media and writing blogs? If you’re like me, you probably have a tendency to put most of your less embarrassing thoughts on Twitter and occasionally Facebook. But what about the rest? You know, like the day to day thoughts, or special moments you want to be for you and only you, ones you don’t want to forget but don’t want to share. This is one of the many reasons I began to start keeping a journal.
Some people seem to have this impression that keeping a written record of your thoughts is so middle school, which is why most of us never actually filled the pages of the ones of our middle school years and fell out of writing down what was on our mind. I don’t really know why this stigma exists, personally I see nothing wrong with sitting down with a pen and paper and just releasing everything that’s on my mind. That is primarily why I like keeping a journal. It clears my mind, almost as if it gives a sense of finality to my thoughts that I would otherwise keep bottled up, the thoughts that would ultimately keep me up at night. While I could just type everything on my mind, I personally find something satisfying about handwriting it. I feel like it allows a person to be as creative as they wish and add a more personal touch to everything. Besides that, typing and computer usage condradicts one of my main reasons for starting: reducing insomnia.
My decision to start writing came from reading some article about how journaling can help you sleep. At the time I was getting bad anxiety and had minor insomnia, so I decided it couldn’t hurt to try. When I first started writing my journal, I would write pages and pages of everything that was bothering me. Honestly I didn’t realize just how much I held in until I let it pour over the pages. I did this each night before bed for about two weeks, and I realized I actually did sleep way better than before. I also felt so much more relieved and had a more positive way of thinking as a result. I fell out of my routine when I lost my journal and writing became less and less, and I noticed my problems came back. I was stressed, tired, and overthinking everything. I picked it up again at the beginning of the quarter, and have so far maintained my routine of daily writing. Since doing this I have been more focused and more positive than ever.
Keeping a journal is like a physical way of releasing your negativity. You can voice your thoughts and not worry about how it may come across to others or hurting people based on temporary emotions. If you find yourself struggling to find someone to confide in about anything on your mind, I HIGHLY suggest you give this a try. It’s not a cure-all solution, but it may help you get your thoughts together and decide where to go from there.