I have used journaling as a creative outlet since I was a little girl. These journals — or diaries, as I used to refer to them — were there for me in all my times of need: crushes, school gossip, family struggles, etc. Over the years, I started numerous journals, but I was always sporadic and had difficulty keeping up the habit, even when I wanted to the most. This led to the unfortunate outcome of incomplete journals, all piled in the back of my childhood closet. Eventually, I gave up on my journals and the hobby altogether.
It wasn’t until a year ago, following a turbulent breakup, that I refocused my attention back on journaling in an attempt to rediscover myself. Months and months of daily writing, I’m proud to say, paid off in more ways than I could have imagined. After over a year of consistent journaling, I’ve completed more than three journals front to back, and I can’t wait to see how many more I can fill over the years.
Journaling is a hobby I firmly believe is beneficial for everyone to partake in, no matter your situation. There are so many ways to utilize pen-to-paper journaling, and I have yet to run out of new ways to transform my journaling journey.
Emotional Regulation
Whether you’re prone to overthinking, feel like you need someone to vent to or have begun questioning who you are, journaling may be a good way to fill those gaps. It’s okay to brain dump everything that’s on your mind onto the pages. These writings may seem negative, but they are the first step to understanding your own thoughts and emotions. I can proudly say that I owe most of my emotional regulation to my journal. My happiness, I’ve found, comes from my own mind, and over the years I’ve learned what I can write and say in order to comfort myself.
Memory Keeping
Besides being a safe space for me to express myself without the judgment of others, journaling has been a fantastic outlet for me to keep memories. My personal journals are coated with pictures, quotes, stickers and quite literally any other piece of memorabilia I may have encountered throughout my life. It may be considered hoarding, but it’s my way of immortalizing my life and the experiences I’ve gone through. To have a physical media collection of one’s life is a magical thing and it’s a joy to look back on as years go by. If you write down funny memories, adventures with your loved ones or tape in birthday cards and important receipts, later, you can flip through the pages of your life like a stop-motion picture to relive the memories that made you who you are.
Physical Notes App
Journaling doesn’t have to be anything too serious, though. If you’re not someone who likes to put their entire heart out onto the paper, there’s still so much you can make with these blank pages. I often think of my journal as a physical notes app. I write my goals, dreams, silly lists and reminders for myself to look back on. Anything I deem important, I jot down in the margins of my journal. It’s one of the simplest ways to journal daily. It doesn’t need to be deep; it only needs to be authentic to the person behind the pen.
Don’t be afraid of writing in your journal. It’s here as a tool to organize your thoughts, feelings and goals. There isn’t a right way to journal, and there isn’t a wrong way either. Your journal is your outlet, and it’s just waiting for you to begin the first page.