Do you keep a journal or some kind of diary?

I have kept a journal off and on since I was a kid using everything from fifty cent composition notebooks to fancy leather bound volumes. Sometimes I write on scraps of paper because there is nothing else available and there are ideas to deposit somewhere.

My brand of journaling is all over the place. Sometimes I write simply to vent and to make peace with a situation. Sometimes it’s to document events or conversations I want to remember later.

Occasionally a problem is best examined through writing. Talking about problems with other people is useless because I find everyone wants to solve it with their brand of wisdom or, worse yet, they fan the flames and make things worse. Writing helps me put all my cards on the table and sift through what really matters until the solution is clear.

Some people use journaling as a creative outlet while others use it to preserve and recall memories. Gratitude journaling is extremely popular right now and I do that sometimes too. In fact, if I’m having a bad day, it’s helpful to take a minute and write about something I’m grateful for at that moment. Gratitude can help put everything into perspective and improve attitude. If you’re not into gratitude and have a lot of angst to unload, rage journaling is kind of fun too!

Finally, if you are experiencing anxiety, grief or some kind of trauma, there is no better therapy than simply dumping all those words and problems onto paper. Even if you just write those thoughts on a scrap of paper and set it on fire, it’s a great release of all that negativity, all that stress, all that stuff you badly need to escape.

Modern researchers often use historic diaries as tools for piecing together historic details and to shed insight into daily life. To be clear, I would be mortified if anyone ever studied or published my journals. In fact, I need to collect all these old books and burn them because I don’t trust my family to do that for me when I die.

My writing is often just glorified scribbles and nothing anyone wants to read. Incidentally, I notice that it’s when I stop journaling that I need to unload some ideas the most. Sometimes the days turn into weeks of skipped writing and it’s usually caused by a desire to look the other way rather than face whatever is bugging me.

If you’re thinking about starting a journaling habit here are a few tips:

– Have a dedicated book. This can be a cheap notebook or an actual journal. TJ Maxx and Marshall’s are a great source for attractive and affordable blank books.

– Type It. Not into old school pen to paper? Type it up! There are websites and apps you could try but a regular old Word document would work perfectly for this. Anyone remember Doogie Howser typing his journal entries back in the day?

– Set a dedicated time to write. It’s easier to make a habit stick if you build it into your daily routine. End of day is a popular time because it’s nice to recap the day and release whatever is on your mind before bed. Personally, I often write at lunch or just before I begin my workday. I tend to keep my journal in my work bag to make this easier.

– Start with a prompt. Sometimes it’s easier to get started with a prompt like what you’re grateful for today, something funny that happened today, what you look forward to this weekend or simply what’s bugging you right now.

– Just write. Don’t stress over it. Penmanship, spelling and grammar are important to me but I’ll be honest. My mediocre penmanship becomes truly terrible when I’m journaling and I’m ok with that. After all, I’m writing for me and no one else is supposed to be reading my innermost thoughts. It doesn’t need to be legible.

Do you have a favorite writing prompt to get the juices flowing? Do you journal or are you thinking about starting? I would love to hear your ideas!

Honestly, I don’t know where I would be today if not for my lifetime habit of journaling. The world would probably be a gentler place if everyone wrote down their achievements, insecurities and troubles in a private place where it’s safe to state the truth.