I love this post and truly believe in the therapeutic and mind clearing qualities of writing. When you first started journaling consistently, were you ever afraid of your journals being read and your mind and thoughts being exposed and “seen” by others? As someone who has journaled sporadically (and always enjoyed doing it), I have this kind of intense and maybe irrational fear that I suspect is keeping me from a consistent journaling practice. Just curious, thanks for your posts, love your writing!
Thanks Lydia. I was afraid people would read them when I first started out, but the benefits of being honest on paper eventually outweighed those concerns, and I even directly address the reader sometimes like I'm sending a message through time to a granddaughter or something. In the back of my mind I hold the possibility of them being read so I do redact some details. Not much gets held back though. Maybe give instructions to a trusted friend for what to do with them in the event of accident or death?
I appreciate you sharing your reflections so much. This part, "Writing taught me to trust my direct experience" resonates with my experience with daily writing too. It has so many gifts for us when we keep putting pen to paper.
This piece is throbbing with so much life. Love it!
"I've arrived at a content relationship with journaling. I used to try to record every detail of my day. The conversations I had, the places I went, the weather. I was really afraid that if I didn't, the life I lived would just disappear without a trace. I was obsessed with leaving a legacy. The thought of that is silly now. I think it's great to make things that outlive you, especially if they are for the benefit of others. But the way you do it isn't through being neurotic about your own existence!"
Really needed to hear this. I've been journaling for about a year and a half now, and I've noticed the compulsive fear to record every little detail of my day. But I've also noticed that letting go of that fear and saying "Hey, I did these things today and maybe they will vanish without a record if I don't write about them – but I really want to write about this other thing instead" feels incredibly freeing. Still working on it. I've also wondered where the road of daily journaling might lead if I keep at it, so to see someone further ahead on the road is kind of fun.
Cathartic to read as journaling has played a very similar role in my life. I actually even have a few years on you! Would love to scan them one day too. Thanks for sharing and for the tip about the moleskine alternatives
No, I don't have a set amount. It can be anywhere from half a page to 10 pages. It depends on how much I'm processing at the time. Using Claude seems pretty ephemeral but if you find having a therapeutic listener helpful you could get a lot of value out of it. You could always copy/paste the conversations and save them elsewhere. I'd use whatever helps you get into a regular habit of writing.
I always aspire to get into journaling but I always run into problems. For instance, I my handwriting is not good and in order for me to write in a way that is legible, I need to write slowly and I find that my thoughts are way faster than what I can write. I also find that trying to journal before I go to bed is really tough since there is nothing more than my mind wants other to just sleep.
This gave me inspiration to try it again. Maybe journaling throughout the day instead?
I find the pace of manual writing actually helps me slow down and write only the words I really mean so I like that aspect (my essays are usually typed on the computer though because I'm not doing emotional processing, just conveying ideas I've already thought through).
It's possible nighttime is just not a good time for you to journal so you should try when you're more alert. I do it throughout the day, whenever I have time or something on my mind I'd like to untangle. It feels different at different times of day (in the morning it's like I'm preparing for the day ahead and maybe working through a dream I had, in the afternoon I'm most alert so emotional processing and my most creative ideas, at night I'm reflecting on the day and getting anything out of my system that would keep me up before I sleep).
I loved this, especially the part about realizing your thoughts are recycled ideologies through journaling!
I love this so much. Dotted notebooks are my perfect medium of unlined but still offer structure, since I tend to write at a slant.
This prompted me to finally start daily journaling. Thank you.
Really glad to hear that. Best wishes to you.
Been journaling 10.5 years. So much here resonates!!
I love this post and truly believe in the therapeutic and mind clearing qualities of writing. When you first started journaling consistently, were you ever afraid of your journals being read and your mind and thoughts being exposed and “seen” by others? As someone who has journaled sporadically (and always enjoyed doing it), I have this kind of intense and maybe irrational fear that I suspect is keeping me from a consistent journaling practice. Just curious, thanks for your posts, love your writing!
Thanks Lydia. I was afraid people would read them when I first started out, but the benefits of being honest on paper eventually outweighed those concerns, and I even directly address the reader sometimes like I'm sending a message through time to a granddaughter or something. In the back of my mind I hold the possibility of them being read so I do redact some details. Not much gets held back though. Maybe give instructions to a trusted friend for what to do with them in the event of accident or death?
I appreciate you sharing your reflections so much. This part, "Writing taught me to trust my direct experience" resonates with my experience with daily writing too. It has so many gifts for us when we keep putting pen to paper.
This piece is throbbing with so much life. Love it!
"I've arrived at a content relationship with journaling. I used to try to record every detail of my day. The conversations I had, the places I went, the weather. I was really afraid that if I didn't, the life I lived would just disappear without a trace. I was obsessed with leaving a legacy. The thought of that is silly now. I think it's great to make things that outlive you, especially if they are for the benefit of others. But the way you do it isn't through being neurotic about your own existence!"
Really needed to hear this. I've been journaling for about a year and a half now, and I've noticed the compulsive fear to record every little detail of my day. But I've also noticed that letting go of that fear and saying "Hey, I did these things today and maybe they will vanish without a record if I don't write about them – but I really want to write about this other thing instead" feels incredibly freeing. Still working on it. I've also wondered where the road of daily journaling might lead if I keep at it, so to see someone further ahead on the road is kind of fun.
Cathartic to read as journaling has played a very similar role in my life. I actually even have a few years on you! Would love to scan them one day too. Thanks for sharing and for the tip about the moleskine alternatives
Do you aim for a set amount of pages each day? And if not, do you have an average? 🤠
No, I don't have a set amount. It can be anywhere from half a page to 10 pages. It depends on how much I'm processing at the time. Using Claude seems pretty ephemeral but if you find having a therapeutic listener helpful you could get a lot of value out of it. You could always copy/paste the conversations and save them elsewhere. I'd use whatever helps you get into a regular habit of writing.
Enjoyed this btw! I had a journal for a few months but dropped it since I started using Claude. Not sure which one to stick with.
I always aspire to get into journaling but I always run into problems. For instance, I my handwriting is not good and in order for me to write in a way that is legible, I need to write slowly and I find that my thoughts are way faster than what I can write. I also find that trying to journal before I go to bed is really tough since there is nothing more than my mind wants other to just sleep.
This gave me inspiration to try it again. Maybe journaling throughout the day instead?
I find the pace of manual writing actually helps me slow down and write only the words I really mean so I like that aspect (my essays are usually typed on the computer though because I'm not doing emotional processing, just conveying ideas I've already thought through).
It's possible nighttime is just not a good time for you to journal so you should try when you're more alert. I do it throughout the day, whenever I have time or something on my mind I'd like to untangle. It feels different at different times of day (in the morning it's like I'm preparing for the day ahead and maybe working through a dream I had, in the afternoon I'm most alert so emotional processing and my most creative ideas, at night I'm reflecting on the day and getting anything out of my system that would keep me up before I sleep).
: )
Nice!
Question; is the photo AI?
No, I took it myself