Journaling Is Freedom

You don't have to be an expert writer or a perfect writer to journal. You don't even need good handwriting. All you need is time and the willingness to unpack, because journaling is about jotting down emotions, thoughts, unpacking, sometimes repacking, and reevaluating.

Journaling is freedom. It can also be a form of spiritual expression. You can talk to yourself, talk to God, or even talk to others through journaling without ever confronting anyone. The benefits of journaling go on and on.

There are many styles of journaling—old styles, new styles, bullet journaling, stream of consciousness, prompted journals, unprompted journals, and prayer journaling. The good thing about journaling is that it isn't cookie-cutter. You can follow whatever style you want, make up your own style, or simply throw whatever is on your mind onto the page.

Journaling is freedom. It can give a voice to the voiceless and an amplifier to those who already have a voice. Many authors, musicians, poets, and other creatives started with journaling and writing, and many still do. It is so freeing because it has no rules, no bias, no standards, and no preference. Anybody can journal at any time, no matter their age, color, gender, or where they are in life. Journaling will always be an open door.

As a journaler myself, I don't journal every single day. But when I do, I can get lost in it—unpacking my thoughts and feelings. I am a stream-of-consciousness writer, and I personally like to journal in prayer form to God. Some people don't have just one journal; they have multiple journals for different purposes. I have a personal journal and a business journal where I write to God strictly about business matters.

Journaling has been around for centuries. So much so that journals are displayed in museums. There are journals written by soldiers, famous poets, authors, and countless others. Journaling is so much more than writing—it is like a time capsule.

Nowadays, some people journal using only pictures or what are called "junk journals," which are journals in scrapbook form. There is no single right way to journal.

Journaling can save lives, and in many cases, it has. Especially for those dealing with anxiety, fear, bottled-up emotions, or overwhelming thoughts that might otherwise push someone over the edge. Journaling isn't a cure, but it can be a valuable tool that helps people process what they're carrying.

I have anxiety and ADHD, and journaling helps me get my worries and racing thoughts out of my head and onto paper.

But journaling can also have its downsides. It isn't one-size-fits-all. Some people simply aren't comfortable with journaling. Others have said it can keep them emotionally stuck in the past. Some individuals' journals have revealed deeply personal things that later caused pain or hurt relationships.

Some of us also experienced trauma as children or teenagers because our diaries or journals were read without permission. Maybe what we wrote was used against us, or maybe it got us into trouble with the adults in our lives. As we become adults, those experiences can make us afraid to journal again, even in our own homes. We worry about a spouse, another family member, or someone else reading our private thoughts. Sometimes no one is trying to read them, but the fear is still there.

Personally, when I started journaling again as an adult, I had those same feelings because every journal I had as a child was read and turned against me.

But I learned that journaling freedom can always be reclaimed.No one can take that freedom away from you