Journaling

[rainbowlemon]

I am going to re-start my journalling in the New Year. I'm planning to have a regular written journal and a separate art journal.

I began "keeping a diary" when I was about 10-11 in 1994 - I then had one all pretty much all through secondary school and sixth form. I keep meaning to read back through them (mainly to try and remember the name of somebody I saw the other day lol). I know there's a few laughs to be had doing that, but also a few tears too.

I lost the habit somewhere in the mid- 2010s, due to mental illness and undiagnosed ASD. Although I was just drawing and doodling and writing lists etc at that point. Next year I want to get back into writing proper accounts of the day, emotions, venting etc.

I always used to get purple silk covered hardback A5 day-to-a-page diaries from WHSmith, but I can't see them on the website so I guess I'll look for a similar-sized equivalent. I've already got a Molskine book for my art journal.

The only thing that puts me off is a hangover from my youth when my best friend secretly read my diary when she slept over; and also I am convinced my mum used to read it too, as there was "how rude" written in it next to a questionable picture I drew - I'm sure I didn't write it. I felt so ....invaded? I don't know. I suppose I'll have to get a box with a lock!

I stopped writing after my father once read mine. Invaded is the right word.

I didn’t feel like i was being honest with myself if i deliberately didn’t write about certain topics like sex for fear of someone else reading.

I would be the type to get a safe for my diary if i didn’t want anyone to read it.

 

[whitefox1]

I stopped writing after my father once read mine. Invaded is the right word.

I didn’t feel like i was being honest with myself if i deliberately didn’t write about certain topics like sex for fear of someone else reading.

I would be the type to get a safe for my diary if i didn’t want anyone to read it.

This is what holds me back from journaling despite being really keen on the idea. My Mother read my diary years ago and I was so upset.

Now I have visions of my kids finding my journal and reading it. I would hate them to read some of the feelings I still harbour towards my parents as they have been kept very sheltered from events in my childhood. Whilst my parents were useless to their own kids, I have to admit that they have worked hard to be better grandparents.

And what’s the point of journaling if you can’t bare your soul! Maybe a safe is not such a bad idea or at least a journal that locks.

 

[rainbowlemon]

Maybe you could write online?

Top 7 Free Websites to Keep Diary Online

Create online journal with private and public posts. Get the best free online diary site. Write down and share memories, thoughts and notes in secure way.

www.freemake.com

 

[Some People!]

When I lived at home and could expect zero privacy at all, I had a hardback diary which I drilled all the way through close to the open edge about halfway down with a suitably sized drill bit to take a small padlock. And locked the thing. It wasn't beautiful and it felt like a shame, but it was necessary if I was going to have a space to vent privately.
I also kept it in a locked box and hid the keys separately because I'd rather she didn't know it existed than took my room to bits hunting for the key.

 

[Tangent Tiger]

I keep a diary, it's very factual though. It does really help to record what's going on. It's extremely non exciting!

 

[pinkmug]

The only thing that puts me off is a hangover from my youth when my best friend secretly read my diary when she slept over; and also I am convinced my mum used to read it too, as there was "how rude" written in it next to a questionable picture I drew - I'm sure I didn't write it. I felt so ....invaded? I don't know. I suppose I'll have to get a box with a lock!

I've had a similar experience, my parents read my journal on several occasions and picked up a fight over something trivial that I'd written in a moment of anger/sadness. Whenever I write something down, I can't help but alter what I'm writing in case someone reads it, which totally beats the purpose of journaling to me.

 

[btw]

I stumbled across a website called “future me” you write yourself a message, enter your email address and select either 6 months, a year or 5 years. Then dependent upon which option you selected, it will email you the message.
I did it yesterday for one year. I’m so excited to receive the email next year and reflect on my life from what I wrote yesterday!

 

[rainbowlemon]

I stumbled across a website called “future me” you write yourself a message, enter your email address and select either 6 months, a year or 5 years. Then dependent upon which option you selected, it will email you the message.
I did it yesterday for one year. I’m so excited to receive the email next year and reflect on my life from what I wrote yesterday!

That’s a fab idea. I bought my sister something similar where you write answers to questions then open the letters later.

 

[iLoveMeSomeCanoles]

Wow. I'm sorry that your privacy was invaded. How did you keep the habit through those years?

I'm not really sure, it just became a habit after a while. I used to write it last thing in bed before going to sleep. I missed some days, sometimes weeks. But generally managed to get back into it (until the time I didnt, of course!).

 

[L3moning]

With my diary I'm always torn between writing out all my thoughts and feelings or simply saying "today I did this and this".
I think I find it rather hard to talk about my feelings.

I tend to do both. I've been writing diaries on and off since I was 16 or so, more consistently since 2018 and more or less daily since mid 2021. A typical entry will be, in this order, 1) anything interesting that happened at work, if I've been busy, any drama, etc 2) any other stuff about my life, feelings, dreams I've had, gossip from my mum about the village she lives in, etc 3) a short precis of any news stories I'm interested in.

I've always said that I do - at some point - want my diaries to be published, so meh if people read them and I've posted my entry for the day Prince Phillip died on Twitter. Partly because of this I obfuscate people's names if they aren't famous (although I do have a list on my computer, and I'm not always consistent about the abbreviations I use). I alos don't quote song lyrics except as tributes to be people who've died.

Notepad wise, I'm currently using some of the Tesco A4 journals with 192 pages that are about £7 each. The previous one lasted me a little over a year.

 

[Some People!]

Not strictly journaling related, but I thought you guys might be into related stuff too...?
I'm after recommendations for more planning/ planner aligned resources - I'm looking for personal and family diary/calendar/planner methods which help one stay on top of their tit. I'm especially looking for realistic and sustainable practices for ordinary people, rather than anything super high-maintenance that I'll exhaust myself doing & keeping up with.

 

[bamboo98]

Not strictly journaling related, but I thought you guys might be into related stuff too...?
I'm after recommendations for more planning/ planner aligned resources - I'm looking for personal and family diary/calendar/planner methods which help one stay on top of their tit. I'm especially looking for realistic and sustainable practices for ordinary people, rather than anything super high-maintenance that I'll exhaust myself doing & keeping up with.

Have you considered bullet journaling?
There’s a Facebook group called Minimalist bullet journals. I don’t do bujo anymore but when I was in the group it wasn’t as extravagant as some of the bujo set ups I’ve looked at.

 

[Some People!]

Have you considered bullet journaling?
There’s a Facebook group called Minimalist bullet journals. I don’t do bujo anymore but when I was in the group it wasn’t as extravagant as some of the bujo set ups I’ve looked at.

Bujo minus the elaborate efforts might be good to explore, thank you. I don't have fb but that's a handy search term to look into!

 

[Zulkraa]

I am going to re-start my journalling in the New Year. I'm planning to have a regular written journal and a separate art journal.

I began "keeping a diary" when I was about 10-11 in 1994 - I then had one all pretty much all through secondary school and sixth form. I keep meaning to read back through them (mainly to try and remember the name of somebody I saw the other day lol). I know there's a few laughs to be had doing that, but also a few tears too.

I lost the habit somewhere in the mid- 2010s, due to mental illness and undiagnosed ASD. Although I was just drawing and doodling and writing lists etc at that point. Next year I want to get back into writing proper accounts of the day, emotions, venting etc.

I always used to get purple silk covered hardback A5 day-to-a-page diaries from WHSmith, but I can't see them on the website so I guess I'll look for a similar-sized equivalent. I've already got a Molskine book for my art journal.

The only thing that puts me off is a hangover from my youth when my best friend secretly read my diary when she slept over; and also I am convinced my mum used to read it too, as there was "how rude" written in it next to a questionable picture I drew - I'm sure I didn't write it. I felt so ....invaded? I don't know. I suppose I'll have to get a box with a lock!

As a teenager I would put on the first page to the left “DO NOT LOOK AT THE BACK PAGE NO MATTER WHAT!” And then on the back page I wrote “You can’t help yourself can you nosy b!” I don’t think anyone ever read it, though looking back it wouldn’t surprise me if my sister did!

 

[rainbowlemon]

I bought two of these journals as gifts today:

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www.marksandspencer.com

 

[Laughingforlife]

What are we all writing about for new year?

 

[rainbowlemon]

Just the same boring stuff lol.

Feelings
Grateful list
Dreams
Places I want to travel to.

 

[Laughingforlife]

Just the same boring stuff lol.

Feelings
Grateful list
Dreams
Places I want to travel to.

That's not boring. That'll be fun to look back on and see how much you did.
Also, in the new year I'm considering keeping a notebook full of songs and the date I discovered them. I find sometimes that I listen to a song and it's very nostalgic, but I can't remember when I found it, and therefore what's nostalgic about it.

 

[mozzarellagirl]

That's not boring. That'll be fun to look back on and see how much you did.
Also, in the new year I'm considering keeping a notebook full of songs and the date I discovered them. I find sometimes that I listen to a song and it's very nostalgic, but I can't remember when I found it, and therefore what's nostalgic about it.

omg such a cute idea!

 

[Laughingforlife]

omg such a cute idea!

Thank you! I used to do Song of the day on my Instagram, but I don't think anyone was that interested, so I stopped in June.
So I think my notebook will be songs I've discovered, and/or a song I've listened to a lot on that day.