5 Reasons Why You Should Keep A Journal

And how can you start?

First of all, you need to know that there's a difference between a journal and a diary. You are supposed to write a diary every day about how your day went and stuff like that. While a journal doesn’t require a daily entry.

I personally write in my journal once in a while and that works well for me as I don't feel constrained.

I started journaling after my therapist recommended it. I had a lot of feelings built up inside and I didn’t know how to let them out. She told me to give journaling a try. Boy was she right!

Putting my emotions down on paper helps me understand what I feel. After all, you can’t solve the problem if you don’t identify it. Most of the time, I don’t know what I’m upset about until I talk about it. Since I don’t like to talk to people about my feelings when I myself don’t understand them, I go to my notebook and scribble away.

There are many reasons why you should start keeping a journal, I picked the 5 basic ones below!

1. No cutting off.

What sometimes frustrates me the most when I try to open up to someone is when they start cutting me off. They try to find solutions prematurely. Like please, let me finish first then you can give me an advice!

2. No judging.

Although my friends won’t judge me, I don’t feel comfortable being emotionally vulnerable which makes me not tell them everything. Some friends also like to mask their judgment under an “advice”. A journal wouldn’t do that.

3. No filters.

I can comfortably talk shit about whomever I want if it would make me feel better. I don’t feel bad afterward as it was between me and me. I remember once I was so angry at a certain person who caused me pain, I wrote pages and pages until my hand cramped up. That was better than lashing out at them.

4. It’s inspirational.

Journaling helped me write one of the best chapters ever! I used those emotions in a scene that I related to. It was perfect as it contained raw emotions. I always go back and read that part because it came from the depth of my heart. If you are a creative person, journaling will help you out more than you can imagine.

5. Free therapy.

The more I write, the more I understand what’s wrong and that helped me feel better instantly. It’s similar to when you talk to your therapist and she just listens. Your journal is there to listen to you and take the load off your shoulders.

“Ehssan, now you convinced me to start journaling, but I don’t know how!” Oh, that’s the beauty of journaling, as long as you have a pen and paper you can do it.

I picked up a fancy notebook and pen and kept my journal by my side at all times. Whenever I”m on the verge of exploding, I pick them up and start writing. I write my way out of the hell that gets inside my mind sometimes. The more I write, the lighter I felt.

What I personally like to do, is put on some music that relates to my mood. Since I’m angry most of the time, I put on my metal playlist and I write. I write until I get tired. I write until I cry and feel the emotions leaving my system. It’s really therapeutic.

Some people like to journal with soothing music in the background and maybe a good-smelling candle lit in the room. I sometimes meditate before I start writing, it helps me think clearer.

Another upside of journaling is that it allows you to keep track of your emotions. I like to note down the date before each entry to stay on track. It also keeps my journal organized.

However, I don’t like to read what I wrote afterward. It makes it too real and I get overwhelmed and it makes me relive all of those emotions. I end up in a loop of misery.

Some people like to burn their journals as a way of letting go. I don’t mind keeping it, I just forget that what I wrote exists and that works well for me.

I advise you to try this once or twice, you won’t lose anything if it doesn’t work for you. However, I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy it as much as I did, maybe even more.

Good luck xx!