For some people, journaling is an everyday practice. It comes naturally. However, for many, journaling seems intimidating. Whether it is because of someone’s general dislike for writing or because of a fear of being vulnerable, some people shy away from journaling. This may even happen because of the portrayal of journaling in pop culture. We often see depictions of girls writing about trivial matters and beginning their entries with “Dear Diary,”. In reality, there is nothing inherently wrong with writing in a diary. However, popular culture portrays the practice in a derogatory way that causes many girls to feel as though journaling is something to avoid to not be perceived in that manner.
I started journaling at the young age of six. It started with me writing in my diary about why I was annoyed at my brother that day. In elementary school, I started writing about drama with friends or crushes that I had. As I grew older, however, and my thoughts grew more complex, journaling became therapeutic for me. It was an outlet for me to express all of the thoughts and feelings that I normally would not be able to talk about. Writing about these uncomfortable thoughts and feelings helped me to process them and to come to new realizations about what I valued and what I wanted out of life. Not only that, but journaling helped me to reflect and learn more about myself and my tendencies. In short, it helped me to grow as a person.
Not only did journaling help me on my self-growth journey, but it also serves as a time capsule. Just like our camera rolls capture all of our favorite moments, looking back on old entries reminds me of all of the ups and downs that I have experienced in life. I can look back on the days when I was quarantining and the highlight of my day was baking banana bread. Or I can look back on milestones like the first day that I moved into college. Without journaling, I would never be able to relive the feelings that I experienced in those exact moments.
If you want to start journaling but are intimidated or do not know how, I would suggest just starting. There are many different ways to journal. Here are two different methods that I like to use. The first is to write down every thought that comes to your mind. This often leads to writing about thoughts that have been on your mind but have yet to be processed. Another method of journaling is to recap everything that happened at the end of the day. These types of entries are fun to look back on to relive forgotten memories.
Journaling has been a significant practice in my life for a very long time. It has truly helped me to become more self-aware and to also look back on the events of my life. Hopefully, if you were once intimidated by journaling, you will see why it is worth it to give it a shot.