I have always tried to be good at journaling and keep up the practice, but it has never seemed to be something that stuck with me. If I were to journal about my thoughts or feelings I would always end up reading through the pages and then crumpling it up and throwing it straight into the trash. I realized that the only reason I was journaling was because there were so many good connotations around it and I wanted them to apply to me. Like a clearer mind, better mental health, creativity, decreased stress, ect… but I never felt like I was taking away these valuable skills or getting benefits because I was trying so hard to achieve them. I just wanted to say that I was a “journaler.”

As I have gotten a bit older I have tried again and again to attempt to journal, but each time I was let down by my inability to truly just write. I always found it hard to let go of not having perfect handwriting and spelling to make my page the perfect entry. 

The only time that I actually found joy in writing in a journal was when I would, mostly consistently, write in a shared journal with one of my best friends. We started to trade a journal back and forth when we were in fourth grade. Writing about our days and vacations or our feelings and drama at school for one another to read. 

Each time it was my turn to have the journal I would feel like I had so much to say. Responding to my friends’ thoughts and writing my own, I would fill pages full of chatter before waiting for my friends’ response to what I wrote. I didn’t feel like there were any expectations to be good at writing, it simply just felt like I was having a conversation that took two weeks to fully complete. 

I tried journaling again and again on my own but was not able to ever stay consistent. I found that in order for me to enjoy journaling as much as I do when I was writing for someone else to read, I needed to change my perspective about what journaling was for me. I just needed to write with the worst handwriting ever and no conscience for spelling or punctuation so that it was far from perfect. I also realized that journaling in a routine was discouraging for me because it turned into something that felt like a chore. Instead I just try to journal whenever I feel the need to. 

Although everyone might not find journaling to be helpful or fun, I have discovered that journaling is a great way for me to cope with stress or to just pass the time with something creative.