When I was younger I attempted for years and years to keep a diary. Sometimes I'd be able to consistently write in it for at most five months. But I'd soon forget all about it for much longer and then much later, I'd want to try again. I was never very good at keeping a diary. And I think it was because I was all caught up in that stigma of 'everyone else has a diary, I should have one too.' So after so many failures, I just sort of gave up on trying to keep a diary or journal. It was unfortunate because I'm the type of person who loves to write. No matter what it is, there's just something calming about writing down your thoughts. But my previous failures at keeping a journal prevented me from trying again. I didn't want to buy a nice journal only for it to be written in three times and then dropped into my desk drawer– never to see sunlight again. It wasn't until my sophomore year of college where a friend of mine told me how she was so consistent with writing down in her journal. She said that no matter how she felt that day– good, bad, sad– she always made it a point to open up her journal and put her pen to paper. Whether it be a doodle of a flower, some song lyrics or a true entry, she would open up her journal at the end of every day. And with her advice, I convinced myself to buy another journal that summer and try out her method. It worked and I've never felt more emotionally and mentally healthier than I do now that I make it a point to open a journal and do something. Since then, I've discovered five ways that writing in a journal has deemed itself to be overall beneficial.

1. A safe place for your thoughts

Your journal can be your sacred place that houses all of your thoughts, whether they be light or dark. You can write whatever your heart desires on its pages and it will not judge you. Sometimes harboring heavy emotions can take a toll on you. With a journal, you can write out how sad you are, how happy you are, or how made you are and by the end of your entry, you'll be feeling a lot better and a lot lighter.

2. Holds memories

Whenever I'm feeling nostalgic, sometimes I'll crack open my journal and skim back to where I first started and read my entries from then unto now. I'll even open my old diaries and read the entries from as far back as second grade. It's pretty funny to read about all of the gossip of who likes who, what your friends said at lunch and which boy you thought was the cutest. Journals are a good way to preserve the memories that you probably forgot.

3. Perfect place to practice your writing

I don't know about anyone else, but sometimes when I open my journal I can't really find anything to write about. In this occasion, I usually jot down ideas for short stories, poems or anything along those creative lines. I absolutely love to write and throughout the day I'll be coming up with multiple ideas and to be able to write them down in my journal for safe keeping until I choose to bring them to life is great.

4. Shows personal growth

It's really nice to look back on the things you were worried, excited or even sad about back then and compare it to your life currently. Sometimes you'll be able to look back and wish that you could tell yourself not to be so worried about certain things because somehow they all work out in the end.

5. You'll feel better

As stated earlier, sometimes just writing out your deepest thoughts and the things that you've been dying to say...is the best and easiest way to go. As the words leave your mind and the pen scribbles them across the paper, it's as if you can feel that invisible weight lifting off of your shoulders with every word you right.