My diary and I – a little haven for big girls

Girls, you know what? I can hardly live without my diary anymore. A little world where I can be 100% myself – without filters, without embellishment, without censorship. Sometimes I open it every day, other times I don't even touch it for weeks.

For me, journaling is a personal notebook of thoughts and experiences, which serves as a tool for self-discovery, processing emotions, and supporting psychological well-being. Most importantly, I am honest with myself, and I am not afraid to write about less pleasant things or without a formal structure.

I know a lot of people who lie to themselves and maybe even to their diary every day!

Consistency is important to me, but I don't have to write every day - I started with a few sentences depending on my mood - I write when it's worth it, when I'm in the mood, or when I want to relieve myself!

A classic message from the teenage years – „My dear diary, you can also … “ – you know what I mean 😉

Writing out your problems and feelings is a proven therapeutic technique. Writing (especially writing that involves pencil and paper) brings me back to myself. While most other activities involve reflecting the society around me all day, writing takes me deeper into my own self. How deep depends on you and the method you use.

You can devote yourself to expressive writing, where you don't pay attention to content or spelling. But research has shown that even the seemingly banalities of everyday life are not useless. People who, after a few months, read what they listened to or had for breakfast that day have demonstrable joy in rediscovering their own routine.

If I often feel like life is a whirlwind and time is passing by faster, this could be the right method. I absorb my daily feelings on paper. Am I starting a new job? Have the children left home? Do I have unexpected joys or sorrows?

Big life changes bring with them certain uncertainties, and a daily journal can be a great way to look back over time and realize how much I've moved forward and what I've overcome. I also naturally increase my awareness of what makes me happy each day and what doesn't.

Sometimes words are not enough. This journal is all about creative expression. This is also a way to process and record my experiences. I can draw, write, stick pictures in it, compose poems, write down ideas and visually depict emotions. I describe what I am currently working on in a comic or create storyboards. I experiment with different sketch styles and find out what helps me and what I enjoy the most.

I write down my thoughts aimlessly. Exactly as they come to my mind. I write about whatever comes to mind at the moment. I express emotions and thoughts without censorship. Many book authors use this method as a warm-up before they start writing the actual chapters.

It can be hard to keep up with my head when writing at first, but I'm not afraid to make mistakes and write sloppily. This method is about freedom and ease of flow. You might be surprised at what it leads you to. Sometimes deeper realizations will surface that you can look at from a new perspective.

If I take a moment every day to reflect on what I'm grateful for in my life, it will help me develop a more positive mindset. Psychologists from the University of California conducted research on the happiness that comes from writing down gratitude.

One group of respondents had to write for 10 weeks about what they were grateful for in their lives. The second group wrote about things that irritated or worried them, and the third group had to write about events regardless of their positive or negative impact. After 10 weeks, the first group felt the most satisfied with their lives, and this also affected their approach to a healthy lifestyle.

I usually only write a diary occasionally, about once a week, and I have this amazing one There and Back – my friend and I bought it for Christmas!!! And sometimes in bed at night I write down my gratitude journal 😉 Yes, I am grateful that I am amazing and strong, and that I held on and didn’t kill that lady in the office – it’s not her fault 😉

In this journal, I name all my successes and failures, joys and deprivations. I explore how I can learn from each event. I watch myself move and develop myself. I can ask myself: What pleased/traumatized me today? What did I learn? Dotted journals are great for this purpose, where I can use one side for questions and answers and the other for plans to learn from the situation.

• Write down the thoughts that made you laugh today, or at least made you smile, and you might even smile now!
• List things that were a challenge for you today, but in the end it wasn't as challenging as you feared or, conversely, it was more difficult than you expected.
• Think back to moments that made you feel better - the morning sun in the window, a walk in the rain, in that beautiful humid air. .
• What things did you learn today? Yes, I can finally stop telling people how I feel, and I can finally say NO without hesitation!
• Name experiences that made you feel brave today, yes my NO really took courage!                                   

For a long time I felt like I had to write regularly. Nonsense. Write however you want. One word, a page, a poem, a shopping list. Anything. Just be honest. A journal can handle even the darkest thoughts, feelings, and desires. It doesn't judge you. It's a safe space.

I will find a suitable time and place: I will set aside a regular time when I will not be disturbed. It could be in the morning, in the evening, during lunch break, or at any other time during the day.

I set a goal: I decide what I want from journaling. Do I want to write down my feelings, memories, creative ideas, or maybe just summarize the events of the day? I don't really worry about what I want to write - the There and Back diary will ask me... and the gratitude diary can sometimes handle what isn't quite gratitude! But I primarily record the positive things, or at least how I felt! I have a gift from God to see the positive in everything!

I write without censorship: I am not afraid to express my thoughts and emotions freely and without shame.

I am specific: Instead of general phrases, I try to describe specific situations and feelings.

I'm not afraid to experiment: A journal doesn't have to have a fixed structure. I can decorate it with pictures, drawings, or just make quick notes.

Writing helps me process difficult experiences, reduce stress, and build emotional resilience.

Writing down my thoughts allows me to better understand myself and my motivations.

Many authors use the aimless writing method as a warm-up before writing other texts.

A journal can help me put memories of difficult events into context and look at them from a new perspective.

Don't rush: You don't have to write long notes. A few sentences or just key ideas may be enough.

Be flexible: If you miss a day, it's okay. Just try to write a few times a week, or whenever you feel the need.

Maintain privacy: Your diary is yours alone, no one should have access to your notes.

I can't prove anything.

A diary should be a place where I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I don't have to convince myself that I can do something, pretend that I'm not an overly sensitive idiot. The diary is there to relieve me of the absolute insecurity that I don't know what I'm doing in life. But I have to be honest.

I really like writing a diary because I can confide in it that I'm terribly envious of someone's small success, that I'm insanely jealous of someone, or that I'm just feeling weird and I don't know why. If I write accurately, honestly, a diary can become a great diagnostic tool for my own troubles - the ones I often don't want to admit to myself.

I don't write regularly, I don't decide what to write and what not to write, I don't invent any special forms of writing. I know people who write their diaries with keywords. I give myself complete freedom. Sometimes I write five pages, sometimes just a few sentences. What's important to me is to have a cup of coffee or listen to music that I like. I enjoy the peace that comes with writing a diary all the more. The main thing is not to make it an obligation. There are so many of them everywhere.

Sometimes I read instead of writing.

Some people don't do it at all - but I like to read my diary. I often find that I always behave the same way in a certain situation. Or that this time last year I was walking without crutches and I was proud of myself - today I'm angry that I'm not as "agile" as I need to be 😉

I have high demands on my diary. I always choose it carefully, so that I like it, that it is the right one, that I write well in it, that it has sufficiently smooth pages and not too pronounced lines. I have a supply of diaries and stationery for about 5 years in advance, even for a small office – I love notebooks, pads and notebooks of all kinds! Now I have discovered on These diaries are so magical, that I probably won't be able to resist.

I also have favorite pencils that I use to write in it, and I use fountain pens. Just to make sure everything fits and I feel comfortable in it. And I don't get mad at myself if I don't open the diary for a few weeks or months. I write when I need to.

It teaches us to know ourselves and put what we experience into context. It also shows us that even small, everyday moments have value.

Girls, try it. Really. Take a notebook, a pencil, open notes on your mobile, write three lines. It's not difficult. In a few months, you'll look at those notes and see what a treasure you've created.

A diary is the cheapest and most accessible coach, therapist, and friend in one. Plus, he'll never frown at you for writing crookedly or for not writing to him for a long time.

The Secret – see the world through different eyes!