Here’s Why No One Keeps A Diary Anymore (And Why You Should!)

Here’s why you probably scoffed at the title.

You probably kept a diary as a child, wrote truly nonsensical stuff in it (at least, this author did), drew hearts around the margins but weren’t able to maintain an interest in it. You eventually got bored and decided that it’s high time you stop doodling absolutely meaningless stuff which had little to no literary significance and was just a waste of good stationery. If you didn’t think this, you’re not as hardened as this author, kudos, and haven’t been frozen rigid into believing that keeping a journal is not only childlike but also, again, a waste of a perfectly good journal.

However, what happened today did change this author’s mind.

It was one of those moments when you get sad and you can’t understand what to do with the unspent energy, you do know what made you sad but you’d rather not tell your friends because not only would it spoil their mood too but you’re also afraid of saying the same things over and over again, without doing anything different.

So this author took to writing everything down. Every troublesome thought, every funny thing this author had heard today.

Hard? Yes. Gruesome? Very much so. Relieving? A little. Better than many other coping methods.

To be quite honest, the best way to go about writing a journal is to never write it in an actual journal; not only is this a risk to your privacy but can also be excellent blackmail material should it fall into wrong hands. Don’t let people use your rants against you and do not doodle in the margins. It’s uncouth. Type on your laptops if you can and then put a password on the entire entry, or even the whole journal if you wish. With that out of the way, let’s discuss why people have stopped writing down in diaries.

One reason is our own lack of patience, time, the overwhelming urge to simply wallow and the added stress of committing to something as nice as keeping a diary full of your emotions and thoughts. This author would take this opportunity to remind everyone that diaries are not meant to be kept neat and immaculate, with perfect vocabulary and grammar dripping down every sentence. It’s meant to help you let yourselves go; the rules of language should be rendered null and void when writing down your thoughts. Use slang, shorthand vocabulary if you feel like it! Don’t let anyone stop you.

This author promises that writing everything down will not only help you face your problems but is also a great alternative to stop yourself from overthinking. Not only did it stop me from scoffing at the idea of keeping a diary, which I previously considered very childish but also helped me recognize fears and problems instead of existing in a bubble of denial.

Let yourself go, put on some music and start venting to yourself. This author guarantees that you will feel a thousand times better at the end.