3 May 2013

how I have kept my journal since the end of 2012

You know when you watch films and people start their diaries with 'dear diary, today was...' and so on? Well, I've always wanted to keep a diary like that. Instead, I used to always end up keeping a mini-scrapbook of what had happened in my life, through train and other travel tickets, photos and what not. So, from November of last year, I decided to try and keep a diary and a journal at the same time, and in the same book. I wanted to keep a (lazy) record of what I had done and also examine my own thoughts and feeling about the events of that day or period of which I was writing about. I decided not to start each entry with 'dear diary' though, as I feel that would have been appropriate when I was in my teens but not anymore as a young adult!

Here is the journal I opted to use; it is a Martha Stewart x Avery x Staples one:


Each day, I would start off by writing the date in a coloured felt-tip pen, followed by what I had wore and the weather at the time too.


And then, I just start rambling. It could be about anything or everything. Usually, I start off with what I had done since my last entry and then I would write my thoughts and feelings in relation to those events (if there were any). When I was going through a rough patch two years ago, I learnt that it was because I was bottling everything up. Writing things down really helps with any negative feelings I have (most of which are about myself) and then I write about how I can 'fix' these negative thoughts and turn them into positives.

In a way, I'm putting what I had learnt during my cognitive behavioural therapy sessions into practice. 


Not only this, keeping a diary/journal also helps me see where and what I need to develop and improve on to become a better person.

I keep writing until there is no more to be said - sometimes this can be a page, sometimes half of a page and other times, it could be two or even three pages. I try and write an entry once every two weeks' or so. I really am quite OCD about how my journal is kept so my handwriting is pretty much all printed as you can see (although blurry, I think my writing style is still obvious):


Ultimately, I keep this journal as a means to improve myself. I hope you've enjoyed this little peek and explanation into how I've kept my journal. 

Do you have one? And if so, how do you keep yours? :)

24 comments

  1. lovely! i miss writing in a paper diary, i would like to start again really. yours looks so pretty, i definitely think writing out your thoughts and feelings is good for you x

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    1. Aw thank you! I like writing things down as it's a way to get out any negative emotions/thoughts that could cloud future judgement. It's a good way to vent as it ensures any secret feelings are kept secret but are also let out in an appropriate way. Burning the journal would be another step to getting rid of negative thoughts but I think this journal is just too pretty to do that hehe x

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  2. I have the pale blue version of this but I find it so hard to start new journals so it's knocking about un-used. Silly of me! <3

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    1. I only have the pink and red ones :( I never knew they did a blue one in the soft cover? I have the green one in the 'shagreen' style and am planning on using those for uni notes next year (as the cover is more hard-wearing). I know exactly what you mean about finding it hard to start new journals though - I'm exactly the same! I just bit the bullet with this one and started writing hehe x

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    2. They do but it scuffs so easily! Does the pink one? It might just be the light colours.
      I started writing today, you inspired me :3 <3

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    3. I find both the red and pink also scuff easily too :( but as I will be using them for uni notes too, I don't think I will mind too much (I hope!). The shagreen ones have stiffer covers so they will last longer I think :) x

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    4. Agreed :) I quite fancy the shagreen ones for all the different notebooks I need for my degree especially since all the Martha Stewart things seem to be on sale lately. I hope Staples isn't getting rid of her! <3

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    5. I've heard that her new Staples range will be on sale in June (i.e. next month!!) so I'm holding out for that instead of buying any of her, now discounted, current range. However, I've heard that sticky tabs and some other things aren't won't be in the next range so we'll just have to wait and see I guess :) x

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  3. I still have all my diaries. I wrote them since I could write and I just write in them whenever I feel like it. It's always just text. Loads of text :)

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    1. Wow, you must have quite a collection then :) I'm like you - I only write in mine when I feel like it. I think with things like this, it can't be forced, otherwise the enjoyment disappears and it will only feel like a chore x

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  4. I have always wanted to keep a diary and sometimes I've tryed but I can't keep it for a long time. I have a very anoying mother and even tho I have 26 years old she can't stop loking into my stuff so I'm afraid to write now... afraid to write and that she read it... I have tryed to write on the computer but it's not the same...

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    1. Maybe try and get one with a lock on it? :) I remember seeing some like that when I was younger but not sure how common they are. You can always write on paper and then burn it after - that way, your mum can't read it? :) x

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  5. When I was younger I'd force myself to write a diary entry every day - it became a chore! I think a longer entry every couple of weeks is a much better idea :) Love your handwriting too! x

    janesjumbles.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Aw thank you! Yeah, I don't think I could write every day now :) Doing it once in a while keeps the enjoyment there and it won't feel like too much of a chore that way :) x

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  6. It's really weird, but when I think of anything diary-like (not that I keep a diary, but things that would go in one if I did) I think of it in Italian. And if I do write anything "secret", I write that in Italian, too. Maybe it's a way of protecting my thoughts, or something, I don't know.

    Also - and don't feel like you have to go into detail if you don't feel comfortable - do you think cognitive behavioural therapy helped? My boyfriend is having it at the moment to deal with the stresses of med school (sorry, probably shouldn't be telling you this - you'll be terrified come September!) and I just wondered if it was a positive experience for you. I guess it has in the sense that it has obviously encouraged you to form your feelings into sentences, and I do realise that everyone's different and has different experiences!xx

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    1. That's an idea! Keep a diary in a different language - that way you can practice your Italian :D

      CBT has done wonders for my thinking. I had a really bad patch back in 2010-2011 and it helped change the way I think and has helped me really cope with any other bad patches that crop up. It's made me more confident in the way I face things (positive and negative) but it takes time. Hope he's ok and finds that CBT is helping him :) xxx

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  7. I have tried so many times to write a diary - I think the longest I lasted was probably about a week. I really do have the attention span of a gnat :-)

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    1. Haha, a week is quite a long time! Unless you only wrote in it once ;) x

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  8. Hi! I am trying to anwser you, but I have to say that english is not my mother-language.

    Well, I am writing in diarys sincs 1999. And yes I keep my diarys. I think I have 16 books. I use the Paperblanks Jounals with lines in it. I write in it, put pictures in an keept tickets for cinema and so on. Love it.

    Greets from germany
    Jana

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    1. Your English is fine! :)

      Wow 16 diaries already - that's more than one a year?! Impressive :) Yours sounds like the ideal diary - visuals as well as text and that's exactly how I would like mine to be hehe x

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  9. Your Journal is so pretty and neat, and good on you for keeping it up. The amount of notebooks I buy to use as a journal is unreal , I never keep them up. This year I started one and havent written in it since Feb...I will try again as I have a lot going on in my head and think its best to get it out and down on paper...

    Maybe I will start again tonight and aim to write at least once a week, I think the prospect of writing everyday is a little daunting and as nothing really happens with my day, I dont always have much to say...I feel better already.

    I still cant remember my password to my wordpress to join in your weekly round ups, so am just going to reset it again!!

    Take care xx

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    1. Thank you! I only write in mine when I feel like it - this can sometimes mean I don't write in it for weeks but it seems to work for me. It also ensures that the enjoyment is still there :)

      I think telling yourself that you have to write in it once a week will lead to you losing interest in it. I definitely recommend that you just write in it when you feel like it, or if you feel the need to vent and use your journal as the portal for that :)

      x

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  10. Writing in my journal has kept my sanity lol. I'm 30 now and have been journaling since I was 18. Have over 20 journals from the twelve years I've been writing. Looking back on my younger self and what I was thinking then makes me happy (and sometimes embarrassed) I kept records.

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    1. Wow, that's impressie dedication :-) I hope I can say the same when I am 30 in that I'd have numerous journals on my bookshelf that I can read when bored x

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