Journals

With everything going on in our lives and around the world right now, we are all facing our own fears, challenges, uncertainty and experience a range of emotions and at times like this we need to somehow be able to get our thoughts and feelings out. It is not good to keep things bottled up inside so we should talk about it with someone we trust or find a healthy way to do it. Keeping a journal is great and in this post, I am sharing the different types of journals, some benefits of having one and how to keep your private. 

Photo found on google images

Types of journals

There are many different types of journals to satisfy your various needs. 

Daily journal - Used to write about how your day has been, what you did and any memorable moments.

Expressive journal - Gives you space to pour out your thoughts, feelings, emotions, vent frustrations and anything else you want to get off your chest.

Dream journal - Put all your dreams onto paper. 

Travel Journal - Document your trips interstate, overseas or even locally and remember the people and everything you saw and did. 

These are just a few of the numerous types.

Benefits of keeping a journal

Writing in a journal is so good for your mental health. It can reduce stress by getting rid of any negative thoughts and working through anxious feelings, which, let's be honest, we are all feeling in one way another and can minimize the impact of physical stressors on your health. Journaling keeps your mind sharp, boosts your memory and comprehension and increases working capacity. It evokes mindfulness, helps you remain present and keeps things in perspective. Our minds get busy thinking about everything we have to do, all the bad things happening around the world and problems we may be having and sometimes when we're so stressed and feeling so many things, we lose focus and can't concentrate on daily tasks which can create more problems. If we write down our feelings on paper, we can declutter our minds and think more clearly. 

Journaling improves your writing and the more you write, the better you will become. You can write down your goals and aspirations and monitor your progress and allow yourself to self-reflect by looking back at your previous entries to see how you have changed and grown. If you take your journal with you when you go out, you can record ideas as soon as out think of them. For example, you may pass by a restaurant, see a picture of a delicious looking dish and want try it so you write down the name of the place and dish for the net time you dine out. It can boost your mood and give you a sense of well-being and happiness so if you want some sunshine in your life, try writing in a journal. 

Photo from Yarra Libraries

So you have decided you want to start a journal? Great! One thing you need to know is that journals are not meant for an audience. They are for you to write down your inner most thoughts and anything you want to and we are all entitled to some privacy.

How to keep your journal private

Ask for privacy - Be open with you loved ones and tell them you have a journal. They don't need to know what is in it but you can tell them why you have it and how it helps you. Make it clear that it is for yourself and ask that if they see it one day, they don't open it and just leave it alone. 

Hide the journal - Keep it somewhere where nobody will think of looking or in an area that is not accessed often. Change the spot sometimes. 

Lock it - Get a journal with a lock and key. There are quite a few nice ones in stores and online which can be purchased for cheap prices. Keep in mind that some locks may not be very secure so even if you have a lock-up  journal, still hide it because if someone is determined to see what you're writing, they could try to pick the lock. Hopefully nobody will do that!

Write in code - Write your entries in a foreign language, with symbols, analogies or some way that only you can understand. Imagine the look on someone's face when they pick up a book expecting to read something and they see a bunch of shapes on every page!

Keep it with you at all times - Put it in you bag to take with you when you go out. This way, you can guarantee it's safety. 

Warning labels - Stick a label on the cover and write something like "Personal", "Private and confidential" or "You are about to violate the sacred trust of someone you love." 

Hopefully your family and friends will respect your privacy. 

Photo from CafePress

Journals are a safe place for you to vent, pour out your emotions and write what you want. The spelling and grammar don't have to be correct and any drawings you do don't have to be works of art. Remember, your journal is for your eyes only so you can write without the fear of someone seeing it and getting angry or upset and nobody should make you feel bad for having one. 

You can write in your journal whenever and wherever you feel like it but I suggest finding a quiet time and place like when the other people in your house are out or have gone to bed. You can focus better  and relax when nobody interrupts you and there is not much happening around you. 

Happy journaling!