[Blue_Bird]

Do you journal?

If so what does your journal look like?

My current one is pink with owls all over it

What do you write about?

I personally just write what's going on in my life, sometimes I'll find a small prompt question or get ideas online

What kind of pens do you use?

I use black or blue pens but I'm thinking about getting a pack of gel pens to make my entries look prettier and more fun.

I find writing to be very therapeutic. I discovered it when I was inpatient as a teenager and it got me through a long stay there.

Blue_Bird - I used to journal quite heavily - a dozen pages a day. I had to stop though because I began to ruminate over past wrongs done to me especially growing up. There was a point it went beyond therapeutic and became negatively cathartic and I spiralled into a Depression that I became hospitalized for.Today I still journal but to a much less extent and I now include stuff in addition to writing.

Now, I write prose. I paste things like pictures inside and even objects. I sewed in a button the other day. I sometimes paint or colour in the pages too. I use different kinds and colours of pen and pencils.

My journal is ring bound. It was black but I glued some paper I decorated to the covers.

[Webgoji]

Personally I avoid journaling. I tried it for a while as therapy, but found that I would find a negative thought as I was writing and then would start following it making the whole situation worse.

Instead I write novels ... that never get published.

[Khione]

I've tried to journal a bunch of times. I never stick with it, though I should probably learn to because it did help me.

My journal is/was a exercise book (one of those flimsy stapled-together notebooks) which has flowers over the front. And as for pens, I used just black ink to write with but I did colourful little doodles for however I was feeling.

[Teddy Bear]

The best journaling I've seen is making a daily list of what your thankful for.

When I was a kid I used to keep diaries and I'd journal religiously every day for years. I officially stopped in 2012, and ice been trying to get back into it because it's amazing to see how much I've grown and changed in the years, but I can't seem to keep the habit up much.

Thank you Kori_Anders. This brings forth my own question: do you all keep your journals? Do some of you reread them? If not are there reasons?

In my own case I don't keep them. There was a time I would fill a scribbler every month. I just can't bear to read what was negative. And I fear comparing my current self to what the happier self was experiencing.

[gayleggg]

I use and electronic journal. It seems to fit me best. It has reminders and you can add photos. Mine is mostly an account of my day. I don't get too deep into feelings, perhaps I should but it just seems like whining. I do vent sometimes in it though, which helps me get the anger out. Too, I can passcode it so I don't have to worry about someone else reading it.

I sometimes reread mine just to get an idea of where my mood was at the time. I'm trying to figure out if there is cycle to my moods based on the seasons. Still not completely sure but I think there is a bit of SAD mixed in.

[smartiesparty]

I journal to keep track of my life, what I eat and how I feel. I like doing it, mine's pink.

[Blue_Bird]

Originally Posted by rcat

Thank you Kori_Anders. This brings forth my own question: do you all keep your journals? Do some of you reread them? If not are there reasons?

In my own case I don't keep them. There was a time I would fill a scribbler every month. I just can't bear to read what was negative. And I fear comparing my current self to what the happier self was experiencing.

I only have the journal I started last year, I do plan on keeping it though. I think it will be neat reading when I'm older

[Mr.Arch-Vile]

I do a strange journal method were I make up a game to determine wether or not I jorunal. I ask the question then play to see if gets answered by the other player which is myself. Of course this sounds crazy but the game is an effort to collect my thoughts before I write.

What I also do is make up characters to hold a dialogue with via use of multiple color pens. The effort is to keep thought catagoreies active and not forgotten I in fact posted some of my journallings in the forum.

I mainly write about the purpose of an episode as if it were more than just a chemical imbalance. Of course I believe strongly it is a chemical imbalance, I have turned the experience into my muse.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[DechanDawa]

Originally Posted by rcat

Thank you Kori_Anders. This brings forth my own question: do you all keep your journals? Do some of you reread them? If not are there reasons?

In my own case I don't keep them. There was a time I would fill a scribbler every month. I just can't bear to read what was negative. And I fear comparing my current self to what the happier self was experiencing.

I have kept journals my whole life. In the last few years I have gotten into the habit where I finish a journal, and then put it in my lock box and start a new one. A few days later I go into the lock box, take out the journal and rip it up. I guess my journals have become psychological workbooks, but I also paste things in them. I would like to do a creative journal that I keep for inspiration. Maybe I will start today. I would like to get out of my journal rut and be more creative.

Originally Posted by rcat

Thank you Kori_Anders. This brings forth my own question: do you all keep your journals? Do some of you reread them? If not are there reasons?

In my own case I don't keep them. There was a time I would fill a scribbler every month. I just can't bear to read what was negative. And I fear comparing my current self to what the happier self was experiencing.

I keep my journals
When I switched to journaling online I lost one of my journals because on livejournal if you don't update in two years, they delete your journal. So I lost mine, but I didn't have much on there anyway

I kept most of my written journals, they are in the house somewhere and I have to hunt for some of them, but I recently read one I kept from 2009-2011 and it was awesome to read and kind of scary.

[DechanDawa]

Just ripped up my November journal. Am going to make a creative December journal I can keep.

[Seraphine]

I've never really kept a journal before, but a YouTube channel recommended a what if diary, and emotion journaling, so I'm going to give it a try

Originally Posted by Seraphine

... a YouTube channel recommended a what if diary, and emotion journaling, so I'm going to give it a try

This is a novel idea, I'm going to join you and give it a go.

[ChipperMonkey]

I don't write journals because it ends up with rumination and dwelling. I have "artistic" visual journals with pictures though.

[Artchic528]

I journal!

The current one I have is a jumbo 400 page pink one from Walmart. It looks like this:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31BmViIRgqL.jpg

I don't force myself to write in it every day, just when I need or want to. That's one of the keys to keeping one, along with making it a fun or cathartic experience you look forward too. I also keep in mind that my journal is my own and I can keep it however I want. It doesn't have to be consistant as though it is going to be read by someone else, its my space to vent, create, and be myself.

My journal helps me to get emotions out that would otherwise consume my thoughts. I start each entry with "Dear Journal," and keep it as though I am writing letters to some one. It's really my best friend in a way.

In addition to my ideas journal I use those large black hard cover ledgers to write poetry and stories. These, I DO keep.

[Seraphine]

Rcat, its kid of a tool for regulating emotions, so you write an issue, like social anxiety, possible causes, like someone not replying to an email, then possible reasons why hey didnt, realistic ones, not fuelled by the anxiety, then healthy things you can do to get relief, and turning it into a positive situation again. So im going to divide mine ito emotions first, anger, sadess and anxiety, then have the second half as an emotions diary, writing what triggered what, how I feel about the situation etc, I'll try for a whole page per entry
Because i have set goals, i think this will be easier to stick with, and am feeling really optimistic!