Journaling

[Dias]

I know that many people keep a journal and it is considered a good helping tool. Is there a specific way to do it? Do you write about what you did during the day or your random thoughts or the focus should be more on the feelings and emotions? I tried to do it in the past but when I go back and read it, it looks ridiculous and does not make sense at all so I just burn the all thing up...any advices how I can make it work for me?

 

[Isadoorian]

I think some will talk about their day, or thoughts and feelings, or a mix up of the two. I generally prefer Thoughts and Feelings if you're the kind of person who tends to need the time to get things off of your chest and vent/rant. Everyone's different. I've never really been one for journal keeping ironically.

 

[Pats]

Journals are for you - write whatever you feel like writing - it doesn't have to make sense.
I have notebooks for my rants and just when I'm wanting to write and say nothing and they get trashed when I'm done. Then I have nicer journals that I write more heartfelt stuff in.

 

[TheFreeCat]

I have many , filled with way too much trauma.

They make me sad to read.

I quit when it was just clear that it would be more written trauma left behind to make anyone who read it either feel sad or disgusted.

I am going to burn them all.

 

[Mattymatt]

I know that many people keep a journal and it is considered a good helping tool. Is there a specific way to do it? Do you write about what you did during the day or your random thoughts or the focus should be more on the feelings and emotions? I tried to do it in the past but when I go back and read it, it looks ridiculous and does not make sense at all so I just burn the all thing up...any advices how I can make it work for me?

It's a fantastic tool and there's no specific way to go about it but you might want to note the date so that if you want to go back and analyze it, you have a time frame of reference. I've found my journal to be far more beneficial than seeing a therapist. Instead of a journal, it is more of a reflective piece of writing. I use it as a brain dump to get whatever thoughts are circling in my head to stop and provide an opportunity for analysis. Also, it keeps my writing skills from atrophy in an existence that is usually intellectually-absent. Your journal does not even have to make any sense because your writing from a stream of consciousness at the present time. Your writing in the moment.

 

[Dias]

Does it happen to you that the mind is too quick for your hands to keep up with the writing and you just end up feeling frustrated? I get impatient very quickly...

 

[Sherlock77]

I have attempted several times to journal, and it has never gone very far... Maybe I'll try again in the new year, maybe...

 

[tree]

One person's thoughts regarding keeping a journal:

"The charm of the journal must consist in a certain greenness, though freshness, and not in maturity.
Here I cannot afford to be remembering what I said or did... but what I am and aspire to become."

The Frugal Chariot: From the Journals of Henry David Thoreau
Winter Greening | Thoreau Farm

 

[Dias]

What is the difference between a journal and a blog?

 

[tree]

By definition, a blog is on-line written material.
Typically a blog is public, although some people apparently
write blog entries and keep the material private.
Or, as private as anything on-line can be.

A journal is not necessarily on-line.
Originally a journal was hand written, on paper, and
not necessarily published.

The term journal is much older than the word 'blog,'
but the concepts are similar.

Definition of JOURNAL
Definition of BLOG

 

[Fino]

You can type your journal, my hand hurts from writing that much.

 

[tree]

Theoretically you could use cuneiform, too.

This is cuneiform on gingerbread cookie dough.

 

[Dias]

Tree, cuneiform would be very good for me because I feel always scared that someone will read my stuff and make fun of me because of my silly writings...cuneiform nobody would understand. Maybe one day I will start a blog just to lose that fear, because anyway who would read it? There is so much going on in our days that I feel completely lost about what to choose to read! I imagine it is the same for others.
Tree did you do this cuneiform in ginger bread?

 

[tree]

No, this isn't a picture of a cookie that I made.
I have used clay for similar projects.

Maybe you could be interested in simple ways to write "secret messages."
These methods disguise content to the casual observer.
Secret Messages

Michelangelo also wanted to conceal his work to a degree, so he
used mirrors and a special shorthand.
Activity: Mirror Writing

There is also the possibility of simple substitution of words.
Or using numbers. For instance instead of saying "the principal",
"my boss", "worried", "death","scared","outside".....a person
could have a private list of alternates. Any word or groups of
digits that you choose.