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Original poster

Does anyone journal?

35 replies

bigbodge · 02/01/2023 22:52

Just that really. I love to write and I love a nice notebook but whenever I decide to start a journal I just stare at the page and never know where to begin. The idea of using one feels like it could be cathartic to me. I often feel like my brain is overwhelmed with things to do and remember. I find writing events, appointments etc down in my diary instantly makes me feel better but I guess a journal goes beyond that and is more about emotions rather than practical obligations and reminders.

So if you journal, what do you write? And do you keep all of your journals or get rid of them when they're full? How often do you write?

OP posts:
FastFood · 02/01/2023 23:01

I do, every morning (first shower, then journal with coffee) for the last 5 years and I haven't missed a day in 3 years.
I always start by drawing myself in the day's outfit, and then I list 3 things from the previous day I'm grateful for. And then I talk about how I feel, the upcoming day, what's clouding my mind and so on...
It's just the best thing ever. I have a nice, vulnerable, judgment free convo with myself every single day. And I also record and keep track of everything that happens.
I keep all my journals and quite often look back to the same day one, two, three years ago, just to acknowledge how what worried me some time ago was actually nothing and how much I've grown. It's very humbling.

Original poster
bigbodge · 02/01/2023 23:27

That sounds lovely @FastFood I wish I could get into the stride of it but as soon as I pick up a pen I just get a blank, like I don't know where to start. Perhaps I'm overthinking it too much.

OP posts:
Avrenim · 02/01/2023 23:35

There's a lovely book called The Artist's Way that might help you get started, it was originally aimed at helping people get their creativity going. :)

I've always kept a journal, since I was 13...though I'm not as daily diligent now I'm older, I write in them whdn something happens. One of these days I'm going to turn them into some kind of organised narrative.

They're a huge mix of feeling dumps, plans for the day, shopping lists and budgets and receipts, and accounts of holidays and events and relationships.

Celerylover · 02/01/2023 23:47

Youre definitely overthinking it.

Maybe start by writing
I don't know what I to write ....
then note down. What you'd like to get out of journaling and why
Try writing at the end of the day to almost debrief your day, how did it go, who did you see, what did you feel
Slowly you'll draw back on these things as the days go by and you may. Refer back to something you noted a few days/weeks ago.

I love to journal, I can be a brief update of what's happening for me... a way to deflate if something major is going on and my mind is going round and round in circles, I record happy events so I can one day read back on them and remember the feelings I felt, I love how it reminds me of thing's forgotten.
I write down wishes and wants, and also thanks for the things I'm grateful for

Don't worry about it being perfect? It's for your eyes only.

The other day I discussed with a friend what would happen with our journals if we suddenly passed away

She said I could keep hers and make sure her family doesn't read them, I said keep mine but do not read till I'm gone for a long time ( a bit morbid I know but I would like to know they're in safe hands!)

OriginalUsername2 · 02/01/2023 23:57

I do! Typically at night. A lot of times I’ll read something interesting that relates to my life and that will set me off exploring it.

Or I’ll start with a list. For example all the friends I ever had. The process made me realise I’ve been terrible at maintaining relationships. So I wrote a bit about why I thought that was and unlocked more memories. (Turns out I’ve got a lifelong habit of seeing old friends out and about and instead of acting like a normal person I hide or pretend not to see them if I can get away with it. I feel very embarrassed for some reason I’m yet to explore).

OriginalUsername2 · 02/01/2023 23:59

@FastFood I love that you draw your outfit! I might start doing that too.

Worriere · 03/01/2023 00:01

There are plenty of journals that have a lot of prompts and ideas to get you started.

I don't do it nearly as often as I should, I feel a massive benefit from it. But like PP, i enjoy looking back and seeing how those things that were worrying me weren't big afterall, and how far I've come.

Comtesse · 03/01/2023 00:02

Some times it’s like a diary. Some times it’s a rant about something emotional. Some times it’s a list if things to be grateful for. Some times it’s career advice. Some times stick in clippings from a magazine etc. it just depends! Have done it on and off since I was 11-12.

Crackof · 03/01/2023 00:05

Three pages, every day. Kind of A5. Google Jane Cameron and The Artist's Way. These are The Pages. Incredibly good and I've been doing it for about 10 months now.
No fixed time, just whenever I can. I've missed one day maybe. I love it.

StrawberryWater · 03/01/2023 00:07

I used to write a diary but gave up.

I occasionally use a journal to ask myself questions and respond (like who my first boyfriend where or my favourite holiday etc). I find it a lot of fun, it’s like a ‘get to know you’ type thing.

StrawberryWater · 03/01/2023 00:09

StrawberryWater · 03/01/2023 00:07

I used to write a diary but gave up.

I occasionally use a journal to ask myself questions and respond (like who my first boyfriend where or my favourite holiday etc). I find it a lot of fun, it’s like a ‘get to know you’ type thing.

Not sure what happened to my grammar there but my post meant to say:

I used to write a diary but gave up.

I occasionally use a journal to ask myself questions and respond (like who my first boyfriend was or where or my favourite holiday was etc). I find it a lot of fun, it’s like a ‘get to know you’ type thing.

NoSquirrels · 03/01/2023 00:10

Has anyone suggested a one-sentence journal? Start small…

ItsTrueLou · 03/01/2023 00:15

I bought a dot grid journal from Etsy today. All designing done so I can fill in prompts and colour in pictures. Never done it before but life is stressful I need an outlet. Dry excited for it to arrive

Daisybuttercup12345 · 03/01/2023 00:36

Well what are you going to do with it? Will it be passed down as my mum's was or just binned. Would you want anyone else to read it eventually?

TowerStork · 03/01/2023 00:40

I started a word doc to gather thoughts. I prefer that format because I find that owning a nice notebook creates a pressure to have impressive thoughts that are neatly written within it. I also stopped doing it everyday because I found that oppressive. It's silly because it's only for me but if I didn't note that my mother came to visit, for example, I felt guilty as though that wasn't important. Instead I just record thoughts when I feel like it. I also note interesting books, poems, films, or art I've come across and drop in a picture.

OriginalUsername2 · 03/01/2023 01:02

I stopped using notebooks because they became full of angry rants for a while. I would die on the spot if anyone saw those. I had to drop a couple in a public bin far away from my house.

I used Google Docs for a while but now use Notion as you can embed pages (ie. a “Journal” page that contains a list of pages of journal entries by date or subject).

I do have all my diaries in the loft from age 5 to 21 though. My kids are welcome to see those but I don’t want them seeing my grown-up trials and tribulations or my “shadow work” or whatever.

Kanaloa · 03/01/2023 01:27

I journal every night before bed. To be honest I mainly write nonsense. Sometimes just a few lines about things, sometimes pages about something that’s worrying me etc. Looking through my old diaries, sometimes I’ll have a day where I’ve just made a random list of things to do, or written for half a page about an MOT I don’t even remember! It’s weird, I’ll just start writing without thinking sometimes, and it’s funny to see that something I didn’t consciously consider I’d obviously at the front of my mind.

MyMachineAndMe · 03/01/2023 01:50

Stupid question but what is the difference between a journal and a diary?

I write an almost daily diary about the things I've done, seen, eaten, thought, worried over, and about the world around me.

I love the act of writing and find the movement of the pen on the paper really calming. It has to be a fountain pen and a good quality notebook with decent paper though.

Kanaloa · 03/01/2023 02:03

MyMachineAndMe · 03/01/2023 01:50

Stupid question but what is the difference between a journal and a diary?

I write an almost daily diary about the things I've done, seen, eaten, thought, worried over, and about the world around me.

I love the act of writing and find the movement of the pen on the paper really calming. It has to be a fountain pen and a good quality notebook with decent paper though.

To be honest (in this context) they can really be used interchangeably - diary is more specifically something kept daily, a daily record of events etc, but journal also has ‘daily record of events’ as one of the dictionary definitions. I’d say if you write about a wider variety of topics or general philosophical musings it’s more of a journal than a diary, but I don’t think using either one would be ‘wrong.’

Kanaloa · 03/01/2023 02:04

Although I do wish I could use a beautiful fountain pen in my journal! I just can’t write with them. Impossible… although given that my writing is illegible anyway, might as well add blotchy to the list!

MyMachineAndMe · 03/01/2023 02:20

@Kanaloa thank you, that's helpful. I know you can get ergonomic fountain pens that kind of force you to hold it properly; from what I can gather, a lot of people hold it too close to the nib where the ink comes out and so it goes everywhere.

If any of you are wondering what to do with your diaries, or those passed down to you, you might be able to either sell them (apparently they're big business now) or send them to the Great Diary Project: www.thegreatdiaryproject.co.uk/resources/diary-deposit-form/

Crackof · 03/01/2023 02:36

My journal is private and no-one will be reading it. It's stream of consciousness, processing, remembering, speculating ... very very honest. You can hear when you're lying to yourself and writing things down makes you more honest.

stopthebarking · 03/01/2023 02:54

Every day for 2022, I took a minute or two to write down at least one thing for which I was thankful. It could be something specific to that day or something more general. It was my first daily journal effort since the early 2000s, when I let my journalling habit fall by the wayside. I enjoyed it, but I've decided not to continue with that format, for 2023. I might try something different, but I'm not sure what.

My journals have never been of the hold-nothing-back type, yet my oldest journals, written around age 14, still managed to be rather embarrassing, even with the juiciest bits left out! Blush

MzLucky · 03/01/2023 03:10

I write in my journal a few times a week. I stared before lockdown one. I just write a brief update about me, my family etc. Then things that interest me, stuff that's going on in the world. I do it in the same style as Adrian Mole.

Reading them back is surreal covid, the government, global warming, economics etc.

They are private for me and when I die my kids can keep them or donate them to our local history museum who are always looking for things like this.

I also write notes to my dh and kids for the future and I am gone. Just life advice, how much I love them.

tiutinkerbell · 03/01/2023 08:34

I do via an app called OneDay. I find it hard to make writing in a phsyical diary a habit and often would forget it, find it hard to sit down and write etc. Using the app I can do it wherever & whenever. Even getting a few words down helps to clear my mind a little and have a refresh.

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