Growing up I thought keeping a diary was just for girls and journaling was just for Doug. And almost every tv show I watched as a kid had an episode where someone finds the main character’s diary and reads their darkest secrets. Why would I ever want to journal?! Someone could find it and read it!
But that’s actually the best part of having a journal.
I’ve been reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula because I’m in the mood for something spooky. Last night I read a passage where a woman is writing in her diary and she describes why she enjoys the process so much. She writes:
“I am anxious, and it soothes me to express myself here; it is like whispering to one’s self and listening at the same time.”
Journaling is so great because it’s a chance for you to eavesdrop on a conversation with yourself.
You’re giving yourself the time and space to vomit up all your thoughts and feelings about what’s been going on, examine it all, and organize your thoughts. Are you ever at a loss because you’re not really sure how you feel about something going on in your life? It’s like you’re in a fog and everything is ambiguous and weird? Any time I get that way I try to write it all out.
Process it on paper. Wrap words around those vague feelings hiding out in the back of your mind. Get it out of your system and make sure you pay attention to what’s coming out. It might surprise you. Eavesdrop on yourself.
Thanks for the lesson, Dracula.
WANT MORE?
I found this really in great article highlighting nearly a dozen reasons Why Keeping a Daily Journal Could Change Your Life