Personal diaries. To write or not to write? To store or not to store? Have you ever asked these questions?
I have been keeping a diary since I was 10 years old and still do. How did this idea come to me? It's hard to say... I don't remember. But it completely fit into my life at that time.
Love for beautiful notebooks, notebooks, pens..., the desire to achieve something, to make yourself and your life better - all this was already in 1996. There are now.
I remember how my friend and I wrote thick notebooks, where everything was about healthy lifestyle. How I enjoyed creating my own questionnaires and filling out others. How she wrote poetry. How to write down the lyrics of your favorite songs.
It also contains a description of the first relationship with a young man. Relationships similar to adults. Experiences, joys, difficulties, happy moments together - all this remained there ... in that diary, which now does not exist and never will. And he is right in front of my eyes.
student diaries
3. It also has a lot of pleasant memories, meeting new people. Including with Lyosha, about whom I already wrote on Alimero ("Love at first sight").
And even though I myself decided to part with him and quite quickly, but I really like this story of acquaintance, it's nice to remember it. Yes, and to Lyosha in general, I have the best human feelings despite the fact that I refused further communication.
I also wanted to burn another diary, for 2007 - the year that was the happiest and most painful for me at the same time. I decided to pre-read it and then ... they turned off the light for the whole night. I thought it was a sign. Now, a month later, I am extremely glad that I left it!
Keep or not? Psychological aspects
If you use diaries only as a way of psychological relief, then keeping them is not necessary at all. And if those memories are dear to the heart, if these records mean a lot - you need to leave them! Now, after burning most of my records, I am 100% sure of this!
I write a diary exclusively for myself. Therefore, there is no window dressing, everything is extremely sincere. And when I write, I don't expect anyone else to read them.
However, the thought that I will have children and they will want to read my notes has come up more than once. Would I be happy about it? I don’t know… Probably, at first I would have looked at them myself, and then I would have decided whether to give them or not. Although, who should read them then (if you read them at all), except for the closest people who are an extension of you?
There is one more aspect. By reading your thoughts from the past, you can understand a lot. To understand the circumstances of life, the actions of the people around... In the end, to understand yourself! After all, sometimes it can be very difficult! To understand who you were and how you have changed ...
I will end again with lines from my poem:
There is no person to
So listen to me.
Oh my diary, you helped me
Don't lose yourself!
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What associations arise in your head when you hear the word "diary"?
I'm sure it's either something to do with school or romantic girls furtively writing poetry in a notebook under their pillows. Meanwhile, keeping a personal diary can be useful not only for schoolchildren and writers, but also for you. What's more, it can really. Below you will find six reasons why you should start making daily records of your life.
In our digital age, when information recording tools are experiencing a real revolution, the forms of keeping a diary can be very different and largely depend on your preferences. Some may want to record video or sound clips for this, others will prefer to use one of the many special programs or, others will stick to a good paper diary and pen.
No matter what tools you use, the main thing is strict adherence to two principles that have remained unchanged since the days of candles and goose feathers. Firstly, the diary must be personal, that is, inaccessible to a wide range of people, and secondly, you must be extremely honest with yourself, otherwise it all loses all meaning.
So what are the benefits of journaling?
What do you really feel?
A diary can help you become aware and articulate your feelings, which are usually hidden deep inside. Modern life often has such a pace that a person races like a horse at the races, ignoring his emotions and feelings. As a result, we have constant stress and mental breakdowns. Now you will have a legitimate time for introspection, which will give you a deeper and more realistic view of yourself, your life and work.
Point of view
We are bombarded from all sides with a flurry of information that contains dozens of very different opinions on various topics. The only trouble is that these are all other people's opinions. What do you personally think? Do you have time to formulate your point of view on the important topics of the day?
Let a couple out
Sometimes there are really difficult days. You are frustrated, embarrassed, defeated, angry, bewildered. It is even possible that you cannot talk to someone close about it. Keeping everything inside will drive you crazy. Get your emotions out on paper. Then read and smile.
Life is a great thing!
We read and hear many fascinating stories about different people. Why not write a bestseller called The Story of My Life? Imagine that your diary will be published after ... well, sometime later, and try to fill it with such events so that future readers cannot tear themselves away. This is a great way to make your life more interesting and deep.
Hello my Name Is…
Yes, do you really know who you are? Are you sure about your desires and goals? Get to know the real you. Many people are so entangled in job and family obligations that for them, filing an annual report and buying a fur coat for a wife can overshadow their real dreams. It's time to sit down and think about (and be sure to write down) your real aspirations. And a lot, a lot, carefully, but strictly, to delete from your life.
Message
Imagine that you were digging through the rubbish in the attic and found personal diary my father. You drop everything and, unable to tear yourself away, leaf through page after page until the evening. Here he meets your mother... here is your birth... here he is worried about work... complains about his health... Have you imagined?
So why are you depriving your children of these sensations? They need to learn about you and what you really were.
Do you keep a diary?
Michael Grothaus
Writer, freelance journalist. Founder and CEO of SITU Scale.
I have been personal for many years. Twelve, to be exact. When I tell people that I keep a diary, some people start to think that these are some notes related to work. Others imagine a teenage version in the spirit: “Dear diary! Now I feel…” And that’s it.
When I first started keeping a diary, the first page was a real torment. But today journaling is one of my favorite parts of my day: writing down my thoughts makes me feel better both physically and mentally.
Surprisingly, improving your well-being while keeping a diary is not just psychosomatic. It's really up to those who do it. According to Dr. James Pennebaker, a psychologist and a leading expert in expressive writing, journaling strengthens immune cells, the T-lymphocytes. Thanks to this, mood improves, social activity increases. It also has a beneficial effect on the quality of close relationships.
Most research on expressive writing is done with measurements of physical health, which allows you to track changes. As a result of numerous scientific experiments it became known that thanks to keeping a diary, it begins to function better the immune system, blood pressure normalizes, improves, stress decreases. After a few months of keeping a diary, people begin to visit doctors less often. In other studies, this activity has been found to promote faster wound healing and greater mobility among people with arthritis. And this list goes on.
So what is journaling? It is a combination of fact-based personal reporting with self-examination, sometimes irrational, but always important.
gifphy.com There are weeks when I take notes every day, and sometimes I don't write a single word for a whole month. The point of keeping a diary is not only to organize your thoughts - you can just think them over carefully, and this will also bring certain benefits. When keeping a diary, it is the act of writing down thoughts that brings the greatest result.
When you take notes, the left, rational hemisphere of your brain is at work. As long as it's busy right hemisphere can do what he does best: create, anticipate and feel. Keeping a diary removes everything psychological blocks and allows us to use all the possibilities of our brain to better understand ourselves and the world around us.
Maud Purcell, psychotherapist, writing expert
Already intrigued? I think yes. But maybe you're like me 12 years ago when I didn't know where to start. Therefore, I offer the following 8 tips that will help you master the art of journaling in the shortest possible time.
1. Use pen and paper
The modern world is keyboards and touch screens. But when it comes to journaling, there are more advantages to a regular pen and paper.
I have noticed that most of my patients intuitively understand that writing thoughts by hand is more effective than using the keyboard. And research confirms this. It turns out that while writing, the reticular activating system is stimulated - that area of the brain that filters and brings to the fore the information on which we focus.
Maud Purcell
There are additional benefits to writing by hand. This keeps us from editing our own thoughts. Although many people in their 20s and 30s have already lost the muscle memory of handwriting and this activity may seem slow and uncomfortable to you, it will not be long before you again feel comfortable when writing by hand.
When I succeed in convincing young people, especially 20-year-olds, to take notes in good old cursive, they are always amazed at the result, because this activity is really calming and helps to cope with problems.
Maud Purcell
2. If you don't like writing with a pen, find the right tool for you.
Perhaps, having tried to write by hand, you will realize that this option does not suit you. There is nothing wrong with this.
Fortunately, today there is a huge variety of options. Personally, I prefer freehand journaling using a V5 Hi-Techpoint pen with a very thin refill. Yes, only this particular option. I think it's the perfect tool to help my thoughts flow from my head to the pages of my Moleskine notebook.
But, if paper and pen are not for you, turn to their technological counterparts. Both standard editors (Microsoft's Word or Apple's Pages) and more minimalist solutions like . Perhaps you prefer touch screens. In general, look for the most convenient solution for yourself.
3. Set a reasonable limit for yourself
gifphy.com Previously, people set themselves a limit on the amount of writing, for example, 3 pages every day. But experts agree that a time limit would be a more effective solution when keeping a diary.
Think rationally about how much time per day you can allocate to this activity in your busy schedule. Even if at first it will be only 5 minutes.
A limited time frame helps people focus on a specific goal when they start journaling. Seeing 3 blank pages in front of you can be difficult, and the case will end before it even starts. And the time limit will not seem like a difficult test.
4. You don't have to be Shakespeare
Most (regardless of what they write: notes in a diary, an article for a popular magazine or a voluminous novel) are usually deluded into believing that everything they write should be deep and sensual. And when you start journaling with this delusion, be sure that it will lead to failure. Such activity is directed outward, to others, and you should keep a diary for yourself personally. Genuine depth comes naturally, by itself, even by accident. Pretentiousness occurs when people deliberately try to appear smarter.
Shakespeare was a great writer because of his natural talent and careful study of human nature. But what's good for him doesn't have to be good for you. You do not need to demonstrate your literary talent. You just need to write.
I advise my patients to forget about spelling, punctuation and just pour their stream of consciousness onto paper. So keeping a diary will help bring to the fore information that is stored a little deeper than consciousness. Let her pour out.
Maud Purcell
5. Don't edit
One of the purposes of journaling is to explore areas of your mind that you may not want to let out. Diary entries are not articles. No one will check your spelling, grammar, punctuation or content structure. When you edit, you start to think and focus on the presentation rather than your thoughts.
The essence of journaling is to write without thinking. By thinking, we interfere with our intuition, and, consequently, the whole meaning of the diary is lost. The diary can help us explore those paths that we cannot consciously discover. We can find extremely interesting topics if we stop thinking for a while.
6. Keep your diary in the same place every day
gifphy.com No need to lock yourself in a secluded tower of Ivory to write down your thoughts. However, if you have a specific place where you will keep a personal diary, this will contribute to the creation of better introspective notes.
I have a favorite cafe in London where I enjoy writing. Even when it gets noisy from the clinking of cups and talking patrons, I find the background noise soothing. He helps me immediately tune in to the right mood, and I plunge into my diary. If cafes aren't for you, try writing in a quiet room at home or on a park bench.
Let it be an attractive place, where it is cozy, where there are things that inspire you, where you can see, touch or smell them: flowers, sentimental, memorabilia or pleasant drinks - your choice.
Maud Purcell
7. Leave room for content
When I buy a new Moleskine, I always skip the first two or three pages before starting my diary. When I fill out the entire notebook (usually for a year), I wait for a while, and then reread it.
When rereading, I highlight notes or thoughts that I consider important, note page numbers or the date of writing, and then put them at the very beginning of the diary. This gradually builds up the content, thanks to which I can easily find important records. It helps me a lot when I'm in trouble. I can see how I have faced problems in the past that seemed insurmountable to me, but which I was eventually able to overcome.
Experts have no consensus on whether a table of contents is needed in the diary or not.
"Some people like having structure, some people don't," says Pennebaker. Some people like to read what they have written, some don't. The point is to find the way that works for you."
Purcell has a different point of view: “I like this idea. Of course, some parts of the diary will seem more relevant to your life as a whole. And quick access to these notes will be useful, especially in confusing or life. It's great to be able to remind yourself how you've dealt with seemingly hopeless situations in the past."
8. Keep your diary away from prying eyes
Find a safe and secure place for your diary. For this activity to be really effective, you need to feel as free as possible and write down things that you can’t even tell your best friend.
A personal diary is not a letter to another person. It is not a document by which others should judge you. Want to ? Good. Write a book. The diary is just for you. If what you write might hurt the feelings of others or damage your reputation, destroy the diary or hide it in a safe place.
Publication date: 09.10.2012Remember that you are only writing for yourself.
Journaling is viewed negatively by many people as a waste of time. In this article, we’ll talk about how to start keeping a diary, why you need to do it, and what are the advantages of it.
stereotypes
Now most people have the opinion that only girls who are closed in themselves keep diaries. It is believed that brutal men and adult women do not need to keep a diary. In general, many people prefer not to start a diary, as they believe that they will waste their time on this.
However, many successful and famous people keep diaries. In Europe and the USA, keeping a personal diary is a matter of course.
Why didn't this good habit take root in Russia? People are just not used to it. Most Russians have a Nordic character, and therefore do not want to reveal their feelings to anyone or to a diary.
Why is this needed?
Everyone decides for himself the question of the need to keep a diary. Someone just needs to throw out emotions, someone needs a "silent listener" which is the diary. In principle, the diary allows you to solve many socio-psychological issues in your life. Let's take a closer look at this...
1) Diary and Willpower
The diary helps in achieving goals that require great endurance and willpower from you. For example, you understand that you have to train hard, but you do not have enough willpower for this. You realize that you are weak and your figure is bad, but you simply do not have enough “gunpowder” and incentive to train regularly. You train for about 3 days in a row, and then you quit ... Then you start writing in a diary everything that you think about training. And after each workout, you write in a diary about how the workout went and how you felt. As a result, you will have a certain incentive, a sense of duty to the diary (and therefore to yourself).
You can also write down plans for the future in a diary, which will also give you strength and perseverance. Re-reading previous entries will help you a lot.
2) Diary and Self-Consciousness
Write down all your thoughts, actions and feelings in a diary. And every day, read your previous entries made earlier. So you can look at yourself from the outside. Moreover, the greater the time gap between your entry and the date of its reading, the more you will be surprised. Those who keep a diary all their lives are very surprised when they read their old entries from many years ago. Those. the problems that you had as a child will no longer seem like problems to you.
By reading your notes, you will be able to logically and judiciously evaluate your life and yourself. Are you the person you want to be? Are you doing what you think is right, or are you following others? You will find answers to these and other questions in your diary :)
3) Diary and Experience
A diary can help you remember past experiences by reading your old entries. You can forget a lot, but a diary will never forget anything. A diary can be a tangible power and important knowledge if used properly. After all, what happened to you in the past can help in the present. A child's notes can be useful in old age.
4) Diary and Aggression
You should write down in a diary all the good things that happened to you. However, you need to be especially careful to write about what bad happened to you. Diary entry negative emotions allows you to calm down and take a sober look at your anger. If you re-read your anger entry the next day, you might be surprised that you could be angry over such little things.
Agree, it is better to pour out all the anger to the diary than to someone close.
5) Diary and Life Purpose
Write down your goals in a diary. Write down what you consider your life purpose. Be sure to describe in detail what you see the meaning of your life. Subsequently, these records will help you navigate the future.
In addition, when you read your old notes, you will see that the purpose of your life is changing. What you aspired to as a child is very small compared to what you are striving for now. This is especially important for people aged 20 to 27 years. At this age, everyone thinks that they know the true meaning of life, although this knowledge changes dramatically every year. At 20, you dreamed of becoming rich, considering money to be the meaning of life, and at 21, you already want love and family happiness, considering that this is the meaning of life.
6) Diary and Brilliant Ideas
How often do you come up with really smart and good ideas? As a rule, we discard or forget most of these ideas, or consider them insignificant. Write down all your ideas in your diary, no matter what kind they are (stupid, crazy, brilliant, etc.).
When writing down any idea in your diary, be sure to write down the positive and negative aspects of your idea that prevent you from realizing this idea.
How to keep a diary correctly?
Only you know how to keep a diary properly. Write and do whatever you want with the diary, this is the point of keeping a diary. Buy a thick notebook or a special notebook. Ready-made diaries are sold in stores - you just have to enter your thoughts in special columns. You can scribble down all your ideas with a regular pencil, or you can write neatly with a set of colored markers and pens. The diary is a reflection mental state person.
Diary on the Internet
If you start a diary on the Internet, then forget about anonymity. Of course, on most sites you can put down privacy settings, but why is this necessary? After all, you start a diary on the Internet precisely because you want to show your lifestyle to other people.
There are special sites-diaries. However, you can just as well start a blog (on LiveJournal or somewhere else). On a blog, you can write whatever you want and other people will see it. Get ready to be commented on. You may be told that your life is boring and mediocre. However, it may also happen that your thoughts turn out to be very close to someone. In this way, you can not only make new friends, but also become a popular Internet star.
Thank you for your attention!
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Why keep a personal diary
So what is a personal diary? This is a place where not only the most intimate is recorded, or, to be more precise, this may not be there at all. A personal diary contains information that is important for its owner, and what exactly it will be is up to him to decide. However, if we talk about adults, then keeping a diary can be a very useful activity, and here's why:
Concluding the selection of reasons why you should keep your personal diary, I would like to say one more interesting thing. By keeping records of this kind, you have the opportunity to create the story of your life. People like to read biographies of other people, to see how they went to their success, what they encountered along the way, and why not create one for themselves. In the process of life, a lot is forgotten, but a personal diary will not allow this. Moreover, if you wish, you can pass it on to your descendants, so that they, without personally knowing it, can build the right impression about you - it's so interesting! Yes, and by yourself, after decades, look into your past, smile and remember what you were once upon a time ...
How to make a personal diary
Previously, personal diaries were kept exclusively in handwritten form, since there was no other possibility. Now, when computers have come into circulation, you can pour out your thoughts in print, in any text format. Moreover, especially brave individuals dare to keep records in the global world network, organizing websites and blogs. How exactly you arrange your diary is up to you, but before that, think it over carefully.
Working with a computer, and even more so with the Internet, is risky in the sense that it is very unreliable. Firstly, it is no longer personal, since a computer can be hacked, and on the Internet, content is available to other users. Secondly, the computer may break and all records will be lost. There is, of course, an option to store a text document on a flash card, but still that romance is missing here. Positive sides- wide availability. That is, if something unexpectedly occurred to you, you can always start keeping records, because modern man always at hand either a laptop or a smartphone.
Still, keeping a diary in a handwritten format is the most reliable in terms of safety. Here everything remains on your conscience. Of course, you can lose it, but it will depend only on you, and it’s easier to control yourself than a “soulless piece of iron”. You also need to store such records well enough, because you can’t put a password on it, which means that everyone who comes across it can read it. Think over such details and start writing.
How to decorate a personal diary
Keeping a personal diary is not just a “dry” process of presenting your own thoughts - it is real creativity. A decent "writer" will always have it decorated and supplemented with interesting details. All this, of course, is a matter of personal taste, there is no mandatory design rule, you can generally keep it as a simple diary, the main thing is that it suits you. And you can supplement the notes with various images, clippings and details that are related to what was written.
For creative people a scrapbooking-style personal diary design option is suitable. It will be not only beautiful, but also romantic and original. For decoration, you can purchase various stickers and stickers, they will enliven the image of the diary and give it charm. If you care about how your diary will look, then we offer interesting design options for inspiration.
What to write in a personal diary
A personal diary is personal for that, that everyone decides for himself why to keep it. In it, you can record interesting things that happened to you during the day, you can share experiences, make plans for the future. If we go further, then, as we have already said, one can write in it not only about the innermost and secret. A good idea is to make a themed personal diary.
For example, you have some kind of goal, maybe global, or maybe not, so dedicate a diary to it. Want to lose weight? Write about your daily routine - tell us how great you are, that you didn’t eat a cake, although you wanted to, write about the first kilogram you lost, about victories over your laziness and the day spent in the gym. Do you want to grow up the career ladder? Start keeping a personal diary called "My Personal Growth". Write down step by step the steps you need to take and move towards them daily, writing down your, even the smallest, victories. Do you like to travel? Then keep a diary on the appropriate topic.
Whatever topic you choose, it should bring you pleasure. And this is a prerequisite, and everything else is unimportant. A personal diary is your space, your small but intimate world, in which there is only you and no one else. Use it to your advantage and be happy!
