Writing in a Journal Keeps Me Sane
- Erin
- Jun 12, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 25, 2020
My journal is basically my best friend. My mini therapist. My happy place. For years I did not talk to a single person about anything that was on my mind. I kept it to myself, sort of. Before I even knew what counseling or therapy was, I practiced my own kind of self-help. I wrote in my journal (okay let’s be honest it was more of a diary for a long time but what’s the shame in that?). Writing is therapeutic for me. It’s also fun. It always has been. Growing up I liked reading but I definitely was more of a writer. My sisters and mom and I used to have a “reading corner” where we would all read together at night but instead, I usually decided to write.
It can be so hard to open up to people. Not only did I have a hard time opening up but for a long time, I didn’t even really understand why I felt the way I did, so I ignored it. But, the one thing I always did that gave me a little bit of relief was journaling. Now, I can’t say writing in a journal will clear your skin, mend your broken heart, and solve all your problems but I can say that it has been extremely helpful to me. If I am upset or having a bad day or really struggling with something, I turn to my journal and start writing. Even if my thoughts are a jumbled up mess of word vomit, it feels so good to just get it out. My tears almost always clear up by the time I am done. Although it may just be a temporary fix sometimes, it gives me a lot of peace.
And as much as I write in my journal to feel better when I am sad, I also write in it when I am happy, when I’m excited, when I’m inspired, when I’m feeling creative. Here are some positive things that I love to write about in my journal:
Get my ideas out on paper
My mind is pretty much always racing. I am the kind of person who tries to do a million things at once and this tends to backfire on me. I will think of one cool idea that I want to do and then that will turn into 10 more ideas and all of a sudden I can’t even remember what my original idea was. Writing these things out allows me to make a plan and take each thing one at a time.
Gratitude
I’ve made it a habit to write down three things that I am grateful for everyday. This can be as big as having a roof over your head or as simple as having a good hair day, talking with a friend, or petting your dog. It might feel daunting at first but it has made me seek out gratitude which in turn has brought a little bit more happiness into my life.
Write down my goals
I don’t know about you guys but I have a lot of things I want to achieve and it honestly scares me sometimes when I think about it. This can be long term goals or short term. Some long term goals I have are to travel and eventually open up an online boutique while a short term goal is to practice photography everyday. Your goals may change and that’s okay. I know looking at a list of goals might be overwhelming but it’s also exciting! Writing them down reminds me to keep working hard to achieve them, no matter how long it takes.
Write for fun
Like I said, I have always loved writing. I love writing short stories, plays, funny moments from my day, interactions I had with people, or even drawing something. This may not be for everyone but letting your imagination go wherever it wants on paper can be really fun.
Make lists
Especially now that we are in quarantine and there is not much structure in my day, making lists helps me so much. I make all kinds of lists from things I need to do that day to bucket lists and places I want to travel to literally just a grocery list. I also like to add simple things to do like brush my teeth, get dressed, eat breakfast, etc. so that I can give myself some kind of routine and so I have more things that I can cross off (because let’s be honest crossing things off a list is SO satisfying).
Writing in my journal keeps me sane. It allows me to escape to a creative place and also express how I am feeling. There are all kinds of journals you can choose from - some are blank pages, some give you writing prompts, and some can just be your leftover notebook from school. I would highly recommend trying this out :) Here are some pretty journals that I love:
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