Your Story Needs To Be Written
By: Erin Butts
In the corner of my room sits a dark brown, cube organizer shelf. Out of the nine shelves, two of them being empty, I have four shelves filled with journals. Dating from 2012 right up to the present time, these journals hold some of the best and worst memories of my life. From the time I rededicated my life to Jesus in 2016, to my severe battle with depression in 2018, I have kept a detailed record. I have been journaling for at least six years now and I have come to realize that journaling is very important. It is a way to express myself when I feel like nobody understands me. It is a way to take a mental breather after a long day of school and it is a way to express the deep parts of my heart to God when I simply cannot express it verbally.
Journaling has always felt natural to me. I started off with the common “Dear Diary” phrase and then I just talked about my life. From a very young age I started writing fiction stories, so naturally my first official diary in 2014 was written more like a book for others to see and read. There have been many transformations within my journaling process. I went from “Dear Diary” to “Dear God” and even incorporated scrap-booking into my journal. In spite of all of the transformations, I have continued journaling for one reason:
I need to.
I need a way to process my emotions and thoughts and to keep a record of the things I am excited about.
Science has indicated that journaling has tangible benefits for your physical and mental health.
According to The New York Times, studies have shown that journaling can help increase mindfulness, memory, and communication skills. It can also help you sleep better, strengthen your body's natural defenses, and boost your confidence.
More often than not, I feel better after journaling. There is the possibility of overloading yourself though. Dr. Pennebaker, a social psychologist who is noted as being the pioneer of writing therapy says:
“One of the interesting problems of writing too much, especially if you’re going through a difficult a time [sic], is that writing becomes more like rumination and that’s the last thing in the world you need.”
Journaling has real benefits and impact but it is not the cure for everything.
Journaling does not only help you, it helps other people in your life. Journaling is writing down your unique story and leaving behind a legacy. You never know what the impact of your story will have on others when you pass away. I have often thought about who I might pass these journals on to, and what will become of my stories when I leave earth. I do not have an answer for my thoughts, but I know that my story can help others in need. It can remind them that someone else has walked down the same road as them. They are not alone, and they are not the first person to go through this.
The 2007 movie Freedom Writers, based on a true story, is a prime example of using journaling to help others and to intentionally leave behind a legacy. In the movie, the students have to keep a diary for class, and in that diary they share about their living situations, racial tensions and how they feel about the way they are treated at school. Later on, those diaries get compiled into a book to share with the world, and suddenly their story is not just a personal account that they keep to themselves, but a story for others to relate to and connect with. The official book is called The Freedom Writers Diary.
If you are envisioning sitting at your desk in the morning, with a cup of coffee and a beautiful artistic - looking journal filled with your own poetic words, think again. Of course it can look like that, but journaling comes in all forms, all shapes and sizes and it is not always pretty. I cannot tell you how many journals I have that are half empty, ripped and have random notes. Sometimes my journal suddenly morphs into an art book. I have journal entries on my phone too. It may not be the most organized, but it is still my story.
There is no rule on how you should journal. Dr. Pennebaker encourages people to try different methods and see what works best for them.
“Try doing it different ways,” Dr. Pennebaker said. “Some people like writing with their nondominant hand. Others find talking to a tape recorder works too. Experiment.”
Journaling can be done in multiple ways, but I believe that everyone should try journaling. You can start with writing a paragraph a day, or a sentence a day. You can write on your phone or buy a journal. You can use journaling prompts to guide your reflections. For anyone wanting to journal I would encourage you to just try it!
Your life, your story, matters. So journal about it.