Diary Writing – Why and How to Start Journaling

“Why do you write a diary?”, she asked.

“There are some things which need to be said by somebody, but not to be heard, by anybody”, he replied silently.

Source

Diary Writing or journaling is an exceptionally great way of self-expression. It teaches you a way of life and helps you understand yourself better.

While writing a topic might be different for each person, diary writing can help you be better in a lot of areas of life. You will find yourself expressing better and your writing style will get improved too.

Before I proceed with anything else, please know that writing diaries or journals don’t mean you need a pen and paper to write. You can use any one of the plentily available journaling tools.

Recommended: 200+ Journal Writing Prompts for Students

What is diary writing

What is Diary Writing or Journaling?

According to Penzu:

A diary is where you keep personal musings about your life, the people in it and the things you care about. Your diary is a safe place where you can be honest and candid about your thoughts, feelings and opinions.

Your diary is by you and for you only. No one else should be reading it without your permission.

What are the Benefits of Writing a Diary

I started writing regularly after completing my graduation and it has truly changed my life. Upon writing about my day-to-day life, I have improved my writing style a lot. Also, I became consistent with my life-goals and many more.

With that said, below are some of the advantages of writing a journal:

1. You Understand Yourself Better

Self-understanding boosts confidence, builds relationships healthier, harnesses your natural strength, improves leadership skills, makes more productive and many more.

And, writing about day-to-day happenings in your life and putting everyday thoughts & feelings at one place does help you to understand yourself better.

2. Improves Your Writing Style

Practice makes a man perfect.

Indeed.

If you want to be a better writer then you will have to jump in and start writing. With time and practice, your writing ability will improve and you will be better at expressing yourself.

3. You Express Yourself Better

Sometimes, just after coming out of the exam hall, you remember what was the answer to that question you didn’t attempt, right?

Why? Because your performance decreases under pressure.

But, that’s not the case at the time of journal writing, you can write whatever you feel like even if it doesn’t make any sense. Putting your thoughts together helps you express yourself in a better way.

4. Helps Brainstorm New Ideas

Brainstorming is one of the best tactics to come up with new ideas. Just write everything down on a piece of paper that comes to your mind related to the topic and then choose the best one among them.

Yes, diary writing can help you generate some of the great ideas that you wouldn’t have come across otherwise.

5. Helps You Keep Calm

Writing diaries is a great way to reduce your stress, anxieties, and frustrations. When you write your feelings, it helps you release those things which prevent you from being happy.

A diary is completely private and you can write expressing your feeling, thoughts, emotions, anger, etc. and it makes you feel better.

6. Helps Build Memories

After years from now when you will be reading what you wrote will take you to a long journey inside your “mind palace” and you will feel better.

Even the smallest details from your past can bring happiness to your face while reading.

7. Helps Set and Achieve Goals

A journal or diary is the best place to write about your goals. And, by keeping them in one place, it becomes easier to track your progress towards those goals.

Personal goals are not always shareable with anyone and a diary is a great place to keep them organized.

What Should You Write in Your Diary

What You Should Write in a Diary

Anything.

Yes, anything that comes to your mind whether it be about your personal or professional life.

Below are some examples of what can be written in a diary:

  • your travel goals and plans
  • what happens in the school or office
  • things you’re grateful for
  • feelings or emotions
  • your crush or partner
  • your health and fitness
  • food recipes that you like
  • exercise and workout
  • what made you angry
  • people that you care about
  • your relationships
  • your after-marriage goals

etc.

Types of Diary

As mentioned above, diaries can be on any topic – from about the food you like to the places you want to visit.

Below are some of the types of diaries:

  • food diary
  • travel diary
  • goals diary
  • work diary
  • health diary
  • morning diary
  • relationship diary
  • secret diary
  • pregnancy diary
  • gym diary
  • cooking diary
  • quotes diary
  • memory diary
  • religious diary
  • academic diary

etc.

Writing on Paper vs Writing on Computer

On-paper or an Online Diary?

Well, that’s a debatable topic.

Some people prefer writing on the paper but some people prefer keeping everything safe online and both have their own benefits.

Writing Using
Pen and Paper
Writing on Computer
or Smartphone
thoughts can be noted down quickly writings can be preserved forever
no distractions while writing can be shared with someone easily
easy to sketch figures texts can be copied and pasted easily

Online Apps and Tools for Journal Writing

Here are the top 5 best online diary writing tools to boost productivity:

  1. Evernote
  2. Notion
  3. Journey
  4. Penzu
  5. Diario
  6. Day One

There are many more apps available but I personally find these to be the best.

Also, using journal writing prompts is the best way to get started with journal/diary writing. Take a look at these 200+ journal writing prompts for students:

Wrapping it Up

Writing diaries is the way to talk to yourself and it can help you solve various internal conflicts with ease. Here’s a list of 5 journals that became books later on.

You might not realize the real benefits prior, but once you start writing it’ll become an addiction.

That’s it.

If you have any related query, feel free to let me know in the comments right now.

Also, share the article with the people who you think might be interested in reading it.

6 Comments

  1. Saswatee Satapathy says:

    Very informative.
    Really it gave me a new way to make my daily routine more organized and productive. Thanks a lot for all the precious information provided.

    1. Thanks, Saswatee.

      Glad that you liked it.

  2. Saswatee Satapathy says:

    Very informative.
    Really it gave me a new way to make my daily routine more organized and productive. Thanks a lot for all the precious information provided. It’s very nice idea for children and teenagers for utilizing their quarantine time in a efficient and productive manner.

  3. I have not started yet writing diary…But have seen your article and eventually I decided to write because I have received diary as a gift from my loved one..So get confused what to write and what not to…

    1. Hey Farzana,

      Glad you decided to start journaling. I would suggest using simple writing prompts for writing. Here’s a collection of 200+ writing prompts that you can take inspiration from to write your journal entries every day.

      All the best.

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