As a child, I was painfully shy. But when I turned eight, my uncle gave me a journal. It was a black beacon of hope that came with a silver gel pen -- every little girl’s dream. It was a true gift because in that moment I fell in love with writing. Years later, I now own a stack of journals and encourage everyone I meet to start this amazing hobby.
Here are five simple reasons to start journaling:
1. Therapeutic
Everyone has those moments when life becomes overwhelming, more problems occur and you get lost. We all experience moments of extreme emotion and struggle to express these feelings. However, journaling is one way to let all of that emotion out. Whenever I am sad or angry, I find it so helpful to just write it down. It is a way to cleanse your mind, to get everything out and let whatever is bothering you go. In other words, it is a great (healthy) way to relief stress if you don’t feel like overdoing it at the gym or eating through the pain.
2. Reflection
Keeping a journal is a great way to reflect back on your life and see how far you’ve come. When I started, I was in second grade. I was truly amazed when I took a summer to go through all my journals and saw how I’ve grown and developed over the years. It also reminded me of my worries, fears and how life in general has changed.
3. Accountability
You can’t rewrite your life. Once you write something in your journal, it is there. It happened, as long as you always write honestly about yourself. That is why journals hold you accountable. There is nothing worse than lying to yourself. Remember those New Year’s Resolutions you made? If you wrote them down in your journal, you’re more likely to follow through.
4. Handwritten or typed
We do live in the 21st century where technology is more prevalent than ever. There is some type of medium out there where it will be convenient and easy for you to journal on. I’ll even admit that when I entered college I found that hand-written journals were time-consuming, and I now journal on my computer. So no excuses! Find the most comfortable form to write, and start your journal there.
5. No regret
I’ve never met anyone who says they regret pictures, videos or any documentation from the past. Journaling is a different way to capture those memories. It’s your deepest thoughts. Your insecurities. Your hopes and your dreams. All of these recollections can’t be pulled from a picture or video. And the best part, if you decide to have kids one day, they’ll be able to see you from a raw perspective of what life was like growing up as you.
So yes, you should keep a journal. There is nothing I enjoy more than grabbing an old diary off the shelf, opening a random page and placing myself back into a specific moment in my life. It’s never too late to start.
