There is nothing worse than having a terrible day and not having anyone around to vent to. Your friends are too busy with schoolwork or activities to understand what’s bothering you and you are unable to reach your parents and other family members who usually are available to listen. Even when you do find someone to talk to, they might they give you advice that you might not want to hear. Or, you could be someone like me who doesn’t like to talk about problems or how they’re feeling. Instead, I prefer to write about what is going on in my life, and I highly recommend it.
As a collegiate, I know how student’s minds are weighed down with deadlines, financial worries, friend drama and family issues. Writing about all these things in a diary or a journal can really help to prioritize goals and organize thoughts or emotions. It’s simple and doesn’t take a whole lot of time. You could start carrying around a notebook and record things as they happen, or some people I know keep a journal by their bed and will write down their thoughts or special events just before they go to sleep. I can guarantee that by writing things down before going to sleep will help clear your mind and you’ll get a more peaceful sleep knowing that you’ve gotten your feelings off your chest.
Writing does not just have to be for the negative aspects of your life, writing can also be a good way of remembering the good times in your life. The best memories I have are all recorded in my journal, everything from my first kiss to my most recent job promotion. I can look back on those entries and remember that I have lived a great life up to this moment and can be thankful for all the good luck I have had in the past years.
My first inspiration to keep a diary came to me when I was in elementary school. I had a teacher who told our class that much of what we know of historical figures comes from the diaries or autobiographies they left behind. I was a bit ambitious at the time, and I began writing in a daily diary thinking that one day when I was famous, people would want to read my story and want to know about my life growing up. Now, I’m glad I had decided to write that diary because I can use those entries for my own benefit. If writing about a bad day doesn’t cheer me up, looking back and reading about the day my stuffed dog was sick when I was in first grade always puts a smile on my face.