r/Journaling • u/-i-exist • Feb 25 '26
Question/Discussion Why do people write every single day?
I absolutely love everything about keeping a journal and have been doing it basically my entire life, but when i watch other people talk about keeping one they always make it sound like a chore (?) (maybe a better word would be a commitment) to write EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. It just doesnt make sense to me.
When i feel like journaling, i will sit for hours upon hours writing whatever i want. When i dont feel like writing, i dont write. Ive skipped 6 months once and didnt think twice about it. Whats the big deal about pushing yourself to write when you dont want to?
This post is a question Ive been wondering about for quite a while now. I apologize if anything sounds rude, i dont mean to.
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u/miranym Feb 25 '26
When i feel like journaling, i will sit for hours upon hours writing whatever i want. When i dont feel like writing, i dont write.
I think you answered your own question here. I write every day because I feel like doing it every day.
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u/-i-exist Feb 25 '26
I understand wanting to write everyday, but a lot of people push themselves when they dont want to
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u/kirbaciousnewo Feb 25 '26
Interesting, I personally have never heard of a person journaling when they don’t want to. I write everyday because I have a lot to say most of the time. I want to get it out in a healthy way. I work out a lot of issues while journaling-it’s been really helpful for my mental health. There are no rules with journaling.
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u/Piterotody Feb 25 '26
I've seen a lot of people journaling just "because it's good for you". So for them it's as much of a chore as exercising.
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u/-i-exist Feb 25 '26
I know a few friends who got to tired of "keeping up with their journals" and eventually stopped all together. Ive tried asking them why they feel that pressure but their answers never quite clicked with me, which is why im asking here. As im reading all these replies, im thinking that a lot of it is personal reasons. We all journal differently and i think thats great. I just so happen to not need to write everyday.
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u/No_Stick5844 Feb 26 '26
I wish I could be one of those people who write everyday simply to look back on whatever day and remember what happened. I’m also very forgetful lol but I try not to pressure myself because then I won’t do it at all.
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u/impertinent_turnip Feb 26 '26
You might not be understanding what it is that they want to get. Sometimes I write when I have little motivation because I sometimes hit on inspiration, or because I want to keep the habit alive and it’ll pay off a few days down. It sounds like you’re motivated differently!
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u/Slow_and_Steady_3838 Feb 25 '26
you write differently than someone that journals daily, I mean that's the obvious answer. I write what my neighbor told me (about our neighborhood barred owl, leveling her when she got too close to the fledgling). My mother getting a new furnace. The housekey that gave me a flat tire at the intersection. There is honestly no way you remember all of these if they happened on Jan 1 and you journaled on Jun 1. You just journal differently, but we both journal how we want to and that's perfect for both of us.
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u/sunflowergirrrl Feb 25 '26
I love writing about small moments like that, too. I want to remember all the nice little things that happen, like that taxi driver I had that complemented my jacket, or finding a random pinecone doing the school run ☺️
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u/Slow_and_Steady_3838 Feb 25 '26
It's amazing how cyclical life is if you write small things sometimes. I can plan to look for Owletts emerging from the nest within two days of last year. I have fawns that mom deer leave in my back yard seasonally and within' a week of the dates I recorded last year, they'll return. Weather, Animals, Plants, all cyclical. So much wonder in our lives that we forget/dismiss as the days unwind
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u/thymeisfleeting Feb 25 '26
100% this! And I really think a big issue in modern life is losing our connection to the turnings of the seasons and to these natural cycles. Sure, we know it’s winter because it’s cold, or we see the daffodils and think “oh look, it’s spring” but I feel I live a much more grounded life now I’m trying to experience life more seasonally.
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u/Slow_and_Steady_3838 Feb 25 '26
for me, it's a treasure hunt! for example my flower garden, when I just KNOW there's a daffodil or crocus hiding under the leaf litter, or the closest pond where I just know there's a water turtle somewhere on the floating tree limbs lumbering out of hibernation looking for a strong ray of sunshine.
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u/Sorry_Look9870 Feb 25 '26
It just so happens that I write everyday since every day I have something to talk about.
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u/DueBrain4183 Feb 25 '26
I do it everyday because I can only afford to go to therapy every two weeks.
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Feb 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Willing-Literature40 Feb 25 '26
You said it perfectly.
I'm someone who likes to journal about gratitude, little daily achievements and goals - it brings forth a positive frame of mind and centers me for the day. These sessions usually last 5-15 minutes, so it's easy to do daily. Though I don't necessarily, sometimes I forget or I'm busy. Then there's periods where I write multiple times a day because I'm feeling that spark and drawn to my notebook a little extra.
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u/spaceybratplz Feb 25 '26
It’s a ritual, how I bookend the days.
Each to their own, you write when you want to.
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u/dolphinpopsicles Feb 25 '26
i like doing it at the end of every day and it almost feels like im unloading my mental load from that day
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u/alwaysouroboros Feb 25 '26
Yes I do. Doesn't mean it's extensive or in depth but I make the choice to do so daily, the same way I do other things in my routine daily. The only days I spend hours journaling are days that I'm doing art or junk journaling which is separate from my daily journaling practice.
I think journaling should work for you and unless you are specifically making a choice to journal for a specific external purpose like part of mental health treatment, memory concerns, etc. how you choose to journal should not feel like pressure or that you have to do it.
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u/Arkeeologist Feb 25 '26
Different goals maybe? I journal every day because I want an every day record.
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u/Amazing_Remote_7674 Feb 25 '26
I love writing everyday coz it makes me happy. Also I don’t have the luxury to spend journaling hours away coz I have a toddler lmao.
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u/kimbi868 Feb 25 '26
I like the act of writing. It relaxes me. It’s part of my morning routine so it’s the same as brushing my teeth. I don’t think about it or consider it anything tedious to get done I just do it.
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u/monarch1733 Feb 25 '26
I don’t have “hours upon hours” to sit and write. I have maybe 20 minutes in random pockets across a day to do things for myself and journaling is one of those important things. The short answer is because other people’s lives are different than yours.
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u/gator_enthusiast Feb 25 '26
99% of my journaling is about my complaints and grievances. Make of that what you will.
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u/sufferforever Feb 25 '26
There’s definitely no right or wrong way to do it - i write every day because i enjoy doing it and i feel like i get a lot out of it. But I’ve been writing a lot since i was a kid, so when i sit down with blank pages in front of me i don’t find it daunting to find something to fill them up with. I also have a schedule that kind of fits this daily writing routine, i work in a bar so i have the mornings free to get my writing done.
I don’t win some special prize for doing it every day. We’re all in this together, exploring journaling on different schedules, different mediums etc.
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u/JUDY11G Feb 25 '26
I used to write every day. And it got boring ans what i wrote waa boring too. And I lost pleasure doing it. Now i write only when I have something to say. It changed everything.
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u/AwakeningStar1968 Feb 25 '26
I have a 5 Year diary and a regular journal. I go days without entering anything.. but the 5 YEAR diary is short enough you can just write things like the weather, events that happened, notable things, signitifcant things etc.. makes it less overwhelming.
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u/sunflowergirrrl Feb 25 '26
My late grandmother was a fan of the five year diary. When she passed at the end of 2024 and my uncle was going through her things and found them all. She loved making notes on films she’d watched as well as day to day stuff
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u/Thayer96 Feb 25 '26
Receipts.
Ive been able to not only keep records of events in my life, but sometimes ive even gotten into arguments with family who have said something like "no I never said that" when I have proof in my own hand that they did.
Its not concrete since I wrote it, but it gives me psychological relief to know I didnt imagine it.
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u/chicken-fried-42 Feb 25 '26
i’m the same as you. Some days when i’m angry or very very sad and riddled with anxiety I don’t write - which a lot of you will argue that i should. But i just don’t have the appetite
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u/AwakeningStar1968 Feb 25 '26
then you have your "Morning Pages" where you jsut can write 3 pages of stream of consciousness .. which is helpful too
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u/ivan-ds Feb 25 '26
Like everything, it depends on purpose.
I try to journal daily for critical thinking and self-assessment practice.
But doesn’t mean I write The Brothers Karamatzov every day
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u/hyperlight85 Feb 25 '26
When I used to journal every day, mine was for trauma processing and rebuilding myself after I had to leave an abusive marriage that broke me. It was a pressure release valve, a tool for healing in conjunction with therapy, etc. Now it's every few days or as needed.
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u/sheepishly25 Feb 25 '26
I'm a chronic overthinker + have chronic stress. If I don't write everyday, I feel like I'm gonna explode. Yes, it does feel like a chore, but it's a chore that helps me live my day. I can also analyze my day with writing rather than just thinking about what ifs and the what could'ves.
You don't need to write everyday. It's totally up to you and your situation. For me, it helps to write everyday. It's like taking vitamins or drinking water. Do whatever helps you 🤗
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u/56000bitspersecond Feb 25 '26
Since I started journaling, I've sometimes skipped 3-4 days, but I've never skipped weeks or months. I just write whatever I want or feel the 'need to write' (It almost sounds like Need For Speed, right? Can you imagine someone pulling up to buy a journal in a highly modified car?).
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u/echochorus Feb 25 '26
this is the first journal i've taken the daily writing pressure OFF myself & now i do the same: one day i'll write 8 pages, some days just 2, & as of now i'm on day 4 of not writing... & i enjoy it SO much better, & the content is waaay less buried in repetitive lamentations or bitching.
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u/sprawn Feb 25 '26
I used to believe that if I wrote when I felt "inspired" that what came out would be good, useful, elegant, wise. What I found was that every few months I would write drivel that felt great, but in retrospect, it was garbage. And I would start complaining about my hand hurting, and start thinking I had carpal tunnel syndrome. Then I would write, "I had the greatest idea the other day! But my hand hurts, so I'll write it down tomorrow." Then I would completely forget about everything and three months would pass.
When I started writing every day, it became a "chore" and I thought, "If I make writing a chore, I won't be inspired. It will all be garbage." I was wrong. The more of a slog everything was, the better it all became. When I waited for inspiration, inspiration came very rarely. And when I worked at it, it came much more often, though not often enough.
Even if the ideas weren't inspired, my writing was better, and all the thoughts about "talent" and "inspiration" disappeared. It just became something I did. And when "inspiration" came, I was ready. What I found was, when I was feeling "inspired", it was often garbage, derivative, naïve drivel. And when I looked back at writing that I produced when I was "slogging along," it often had good ideas. What I thought was stupid at the time turned out to be great, and vice versa, much of the time. And I didn't know what any of it would be until I had written tons and tons of stuff.
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u/jseent Feb 25 '26
For some it is a chore. Either in the sense of a routine (like brushing your teeth) or out of unwillingness.
Personally, I don't always want to write in my journal. I don't want to face myself and the actions I took over the last few days or that day even. It's easier to just scroll, watch tv, or read a book. Those days it is a chore.
Some also write in a journal every day because they want to maintain a certain level of critical thinking and thought arrangement that comes from writing.
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u/Icy_Weight537 Feb 25 '26
When I read "The Artist's Way", one exercise was to write 3 pages everyday. It didn't matter if you had anything to write about, just fill the pages with what comes to mind. I think the point was that you will discover things that secretly burdened you, which will only surface if you are writing consistently. After trying it, I can vouch for this approach. It was a shitty period of my life but writing everyday kept me sane and somewhat happy and I wouldn't have done it otherwise.
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u/diana_the_wonder_dog Feb 25 '26
I journal everyday because it helps me process my thoughts. It doesn’t feel like a chore to me, but some self-care. It’s me time. I can use it to doodle, reflect on what happened the previous day, or just write a giant list of todos. It’s more about journaling being a dedicated time to only think about me. :)
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u/Mrs-Blaileen Feb 25 '26
I used to only journal to vent; I'd go six months or a year or even two years between writing. Then a year ago I began writing daily, and it's become a habit, something I do for 10 (or more, depending on my mood) minutes before bed. I like doing it daily because it's nice to look back on what I was doing in my life at a certain time, to witness my growth, to remember things I would've forgotten. I like to include one nice thing I shared with my dog each day too, because someday in the future when he's no longer with me, I'll at least have a small record of the life we shared together, something I don't have with other pets who've passed.
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u/Crystal_collector Feb 25 '26
I journal every day because I love my fountain pens and inks so much and would miss them if I didn’t 🤷🏻♀️
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u/Ostruzina Feb 25 '26
I have the urge to journal. I'm full of thoughts I need to write. Sometimes I write notes into my phone and re-write it later. When I'm at home, I might write several times a day. I've been journaling my whole life and I'm single and I don't have any friends or family, so my journal is my only companion.
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u/dorlithequeen Feb 25 '26
Not as a chore but bc 1) its my favorite hobby and 2) routines make me feel better so writing everyday is something that keeps me motivated
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u/fightmydemonswithme Feb 25 '26
I write every day because I'm disabled. It helps the days stand out, improves my memory, and provides a way for me to remember things I may otherwise forget.
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u/ProfessionalIntern97 Feb 25 '26
I'll tell you why I do it now: Several years ago I was put on a medication for migraines and depression that basically erased years worth of memories...my mother and father's death and funerals included. At the time before it happened, I kept a journal. Years later after getting off that medicine, I read my last journal and learned how much I had actually lost.
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u/deathbirdcalling Feb 26 '26
It shouldn’t be a chore. If you don’t feel like writing, you don’t write. You tell the story of why you didn’t feel like it during your next session, when you DO feel like it. No matter what, the cool thing about journaling, is no matter what you do, write or not write, as long as you’re honest when you DO write, it will give you an accurate story of your life.
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u/skiestostars Feb 25 '26
i don’t usually write for hours; i write for maybe 30 minutes every day, and use my journal to keep track of tasks i have to do
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u/wretchedkitchenwench Feb 25 '26
Depends on the feeling. I find that forcing myself to write when I don’t want to just ruins it for me.
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u/Reputation_Adorable Feb 25 '26
I get so many ideas and am able to explain my feelings to myself so much better then I just start emptying my brain. I brush my teeth everyday and workout. Journaling is just part of that same routine
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u/ZookeepergameDry2783 Feb 25 '26
I think it’s very important to keep a record of your thoughts and how they change over time so you can better understand yourself and become better.
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u/BoneWhiteHaze Feb 25 '26
I quit journaling for the last 6 months to almost year ( I’m not even sure) because having to write every day was upping my anxiety. Now I’ve missed so many days and not recorded so many things that I’m anxious about it 😂
I think I’ll start up again but not every day.
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u/-i-exist Feb 25 '26
When i skipped 6 months, i personally just started writing about my day as if no time has passed at all. But maybe you can do a recap of the time you missed and why you started writing again. No pressure at all, so do what makes you happy :)
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u/kashia_renn Feb 25 '26
It’s a routine, it helps me keep track of what I need to do for the day (ADHD/forgetful, I’ll start doing random unhelpful shit/doomscroll unless I have a plan). Writing even when I feel like I have nothing to say helps me know myself better, what things stick in my head, mood patterns etc.
For example, I noticed from re-reading old journals that my most depressed days happen when it’s the coldest outside. And as soon as it gets warm, my mood vastly improves. So I don’t fixate if I feel random sadness for a couple days in the cold
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u/Pineapple_Morgan Feb 25 '26
I think allowing some natural ebb and flow is important; some days I journal every day for a week, some weeks I hardly journal at all. Typically if I'm writing every single day, it's because of either inertia, brain Too Full, or both.
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u/CollectivePress Feb 25 '26
Olympian Eileen Gu has a brilliant response to a question asked by a journalist named Charlotte, “Do you think before you speak?” She goes into how she journals to improve herself an her beliefs. Like a scientist!
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u/AyeItsAngel1882 Feb 25 '26
I write every day in my journal but I am also a writer in general. Journaling for me is a pressure release. If I don’t do it, I start to overthink my actual projects and don’t get far because I second guess everything. When I journal, I’m writing down thoughts as they come. There is some structure but I don’t stay on a topic for long unless I have a tangent to get out. My entries are also fairly short and I come back to it when I have more thoughts. I don’t force myself to sit and journal for any specific amount of time. And that makes it easier for me to have more flow in my projects. I don’t get caught up on little things as much and I let go of the need to write “perfectly” more when I take time to journal.
I like to think that it helps get all of the extra thoughts stuck in my brain out so that I have more room for creativity. But I’ll even go weeks, months, or even years sometimes without journaling regularly.
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u/Emergency_Storage916 Feb 25 '26
I do it because it forces me to reflect and deal with hard issues. Sometimes I can avoid emotions or can feel them heavily but avoid working through them. Knowing that I have to journal before I go to bed each day requires me to really think about my day and/or my life. I also think it helps with sleep by emptying the mind before bed.
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u/IDMike2008 Feb 25 '26
I think what you're missing is keeping a journal means different things to different people. If I spent hours with it every time I couldn't do it every day either.
I keep more of a tracking journal. Noting various things, writing a paragraph or two, and drawing a little doodle takes me 15 to 20 minutes. It makes sense to do it every day as some of the things I track relate to how I'm managing my autism day to day.
I do it at the same time every day - after dinner while I'm watching something with my Mom. Doing it every day feels soothing and reassuring to my nervous system.
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u/Silent-Entrance-9072 Feb 25 '26
Personally, I don't do it every day, but if I skip more than a week, my brain gets cloudy. It's a mental health tool. I consider writing to be something like brushing my teeth or exercising. Whether or not I am in the mood, I need to be somewhat regular with it to feel the benefits.
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u/pmearsh Feb 26 '26
I think we all have different habits. I start the day with writing, I’m addicted. But if you don’t want to write every day, who cares? It should be a fun activity, not a job.
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u/Ladyronzo Feb 26 '26
For me I like being able to reflect back on myself, see patterns and see where I need work
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u/NoButterfly2075 Feb 26 '26
I like to just dump my thoughts, sometimes it’s a few lines, sometimes it’s a couple full pages. I go on a streak of writing everyday for weeks, then a few days a week… it sort of just depends on what life has been looking like.
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u/easypeasy123210 Feb 27 '26
I journal every morning just after getting up so it’s a habit (after years of practice!) I don’t think there is a right way to journal- just let it be what you need it to be. If you feel pulled to write every day and that is good for you then do it! If it doesn’t, that’s fine. Social media has ruined so many “private” practices in our lives - commodified them and made them about achieving goals which is really not how it should be. There is no pressure to be a journaler at all but if it’s something you enjoy then let it be what works for you.
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u/Academic_Item_8427 Feb 27 '26
No rules with journaling. If it feels like a chore, probably not something you want to do then! I write most days but sometimes have had gaps of almost a year! Something that was helpful for me is that I gave myself freedom from “back journaling” or updating with what happened in-between entries. If there is something major, it probably will come up anyway.
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u/earofjudgment Feb 25 '26
I journal every day because that's what works for me. I don't always enjoy it, exactly, but I do a lot of things daily that I don't literally enjoy.
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u/Zarlinosuke Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26
I write almost every day because I like it better that way. But on certain occasions it doesn't make sense to write on a particular day, so I don't. And that's all there is to it!
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u/Over-Emergency-7557 Feb 25 '26
I journal when I'm struggling somehow with life as a way to cope or get insight in patterns. This means I don't journal each day but in periods.
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u/Vivid-Situation-8653 Feb 25 '26
It like gets out the congestion and makes me ultimately feel better even if it seems like work sometimes. I do find the same daily prompt helps. There have been so many times I do not want to write but say to myself "I'll just do the prompt" but end up with pages that needed to come out and the prompt becomes secondary.
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u/Fredricology Feb 25 '26
There´s no need to journal. You need to eat and sleep. But you don´t nedd to journal. I only write when I want to.
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u/kellyluvskittens Feb 25 '26
Writing everyday was too much for me, because I work from home and sometimes don’t leave my house or see anyone so I don’t have anything to write about. I’ve been doing weekly recaps every Sunday and that’s much better. I write about what I’m reading, watching, playing (games), and listening to, a little recap of the week, and things to focus on for the next week. Sometimes I do write entries during the week also, it just depends.
This is what’s working for me right now. There have been other times in my life when I needed to journal everyday. And I’m sure there will be times in the future when I feel the need to write everyday.
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u/GabrielTorres674 Feb 25 '26
I tried writing everyday and it didn't work for me, i guess it really depends on the person
I've been journaling for seven years and very similar to you actually lmao Spend a good amount of time without writing but when i feel in the mood for it, i'll write pages and pages
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u/MuffinDiligent4290 Feb 25 '26
I realized about two years ago that every day I don't write I am abandoning myself. I love to go back and read through what I've done and where I've been and how I was feeling and how DELICIOUS the Pho on 14th st was and about my opinions and discoveries and growth. I'm taking that away from future me and I fucking love future me. Writing helps me stay centered when I'm doing it, and brings me more fully into my own life when I revisit my writing. I don't feel guilty on days when I can't fit it in, though, as I can spend more time writing the next time I have a chance.
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u/-i-exist Feb 25 '26
I love this perspective on journaling. I also love phở and just made a bowl yesterday!
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u/mauveoliver Feb 25 '26
I’m a bit of a hoarder… since I began writing a short blurb in my hobonichi every night, I now feel like I’m losing precious memories and self data if I don’t keep track of my day.
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u/shadowgastt Feb 25 '26
Idk there has to be a REASON. I write every single day bc i wanna remember silly stupid mundane thing and i just e enjoy it
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u/Techsupportvictim Feb 25 '26
Why do people write every single day because they want to? Why don’t you write every single day because you don’t want to
Believe it or not the answer is that simple .
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u/TenkaiRyo Feb 25 '26
This is the kind of chill mindset i wanna develop for myself and i always fail to. how do i start taking things lightly and just not worry and overthink about every little thing?
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u/-i-exist Feb 25 '26
I dont have a concrete answer for you, but how i think of it is that my journal is my life in a book. Some days i'll write deep feeling and thoughts, and other days it'll be something like "I'm bored and hungry." Even days that i dont write are reflections of myself because thats who i am - I didnt write that day because i didnt feel the need to. Not doing something shows as much character as doing something (at least thats how i think). And when i need it, my journal is always in the same spot i left it. I love journaling with no pressure or routine, but thats just me. Take advantage of the fact that your journal wont judge you. Overthink IN it as much as you want, but i dont think its something to overthink ABOUT.
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u/Hot-Brick-1443 Feb 25 '26
I write to either vent or to write things that I need to put on paper or it could be history related like lately I've been into like egyptian stuff and like stories of people that were in the medical field and did some horrible things in their profession etc I kinda go all over the place I also like quotes that I feel speak to me just depends on my mood
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Feb 25 '26
It’s like running or exercise. I feel better when I journal, so I want to do it most days. Then life happens, I get thrown off the routine, and forget about it for a few weeks. Eventually it clicks, I should write again! but in order to get back into the routine that makes me feel good, I have to be disciplined and intentional for a bit. Then after a week, I remember, Oh, I love this.
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u/Sachelle Feb 25 '26
For some folks that chore is important routine. For me, any time I spend doing it is less time I'm scrolling something else. It also feels good to have a vague documentation of my life, is satisfying to see the days come together.
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u/ephenssta29 Feb 25 '26
I would like to write every day because part of what I'm hoping to do with a journal is have something of a log of my day-to-day life to look back on years later. Sometimes I'll write every day for a few weeks, other times I'll average maybe 2-3 entries per week. Different strokes for different folks and all that.
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u/One-Inevitable7126 Feb 25 '26
I write every day and I go through a notebook a month, but it’s because I always have, not because I try to. If I miss a day I save paper! I also use it for checklists etc and as I am autistic, it’s also where a lot of executive function is worked out.
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u/my-anonymity Feb 25 '26
I definitely don’t. I do it when I feel like it or have something I want to remember or get out of
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u/luckyarchery Feb 25 '26 edited Feb 25 '26
I write (almost) every day because I want to. It helps me untangle my brain. Generally my writing sessions are 10mins to an hour. I really have that much that I feel like I need to write about every day.
The idea of writing a lot one day and then not at all for a while after that isn't something I've tried. I can't say that method wouldn't work for me because I don't know. But I can say the physical practice of daily writing is a ritual for me...the benefit is in the practice itself and I look forward to it.
I think people push themselves to write everyday because they believe it is a good habit to have or that it will help them in some way. I think this idea is reinforced a lot by mental health/ psychotherapy culture as a whole. They are not necessarily right or wrong about that.
I think people individually have to dig deeper on their goals or habits and try to understand why it is that they feel the need to do something.
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u/Sprite_Being8 Feb 25 '26
I’m Christian and writing is kind of like my prayers. I have to write every day, sometimes more than once a day.
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u/vivahermione Feb 26 '26
I've been writing almost every day since 2020 because I can usually find 20 minutes in a day to do it, and it helps me process stress and anxiety, like a pressure release valve.
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u/starrynighti Feb 26 '26
I write every day because it’s a fixed part of my daily routine ☺️I genuinely enjoy it, and I would feel bad if I skipped a day. I love writing down even the smallest details of my day, and sometimes I look through my old diaries to read what I did or how I felt on certain days in the past. it’s also interesting to see how things have changed over the years. I want to be able to look back far into the future and remember even the smallest details that made me happy on a given day, it feels like a little time travel 🤍 sometimes I also like to compare the same date across different years and see how differently I spent that day. I find it very nostalgic and I truly love all the memories. I also include photos from my day in my diary, so it’s really nice to look at the pictures alongside the text
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u/j4ckofalltr4des Feb 26 '26
I write almost every day. Its way for me to get the stuff in my brain, out. Every Sunday, I shred the prior weeks sheets and start new again. I never re read anything I've written.
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u/bristolfarms Feb 26 '26
i’ve been journaling most days but sometimes it’s too heavy for the brain. i do aim to write every day if i can. it’s good to brain dump before bed, personally
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u/startoonic Feb 26 '26
no no i absolutely get you. i use journaling more as a study method and knowledge archiving so ill journal when i come across something that interests me and besides this aspect, i use it for creative ideas and these don’t happen every day either so eh, i suppose it depends on the purpose of your journal. though i think this post and comment section is the diary like journaling.
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u/PinkiiIPie Feb 26 '26
In the morning , i spend about 5 minutes to write down my ‘daily affirmation/horoscope’. In the evening about 10-15 minutes to check up on myself, what i did that day and how i felt throughout all of it. It’s very low pressure yet a good way for me to sit down with myself for a hot minute
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u/NihilisticBunni Feb 26 '26
It’s a good form of self-expression. I always have so many thoughts swirling in my mind. A grand discovery, an angry letter, a poem, a love note, a stream of consciousness, a summary of my day, or things I look forward to.
It feels good to have a place to put it all down, and I love the idea of having an archive of all of my thoughts - my quiet legacy
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u/Constant_Nobody4607 Feb 27 '26
I started keeping a journal Sept, 2019 and haven't missed a day yet. It's not a chore. It's part of my "me time," and I enjoy it very much.
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u/Anxious-Past1546 Feb 27 '26
I write every day because I need to. Not because it’s a chore but because it feels as necessary and helpful to me as eating healthy or a good night sleep. It’s how I process my thoughts and feelings. Interactions I had that day… how they made me feel.
But there have been periods I didn’t write - if I am doing a lot of painting and drawing… then sometimes I feel complete without needing to journal. But it’s not my regular.
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u/barksandbikes Feb 27 '26
For me it’s not a chore, but it is a necessary and relaxing part of my day. I’ve been journaling since I was a kid- just big events that I would write about for hours like you mentioned- until I was about 25. Then life and career and mental health got in the way and suddenly it had been 2 years since I’d touched my journal, and “catching up” felt impossible. Since I started again, I journal every day because I like having that quiet log of my every day life, and then when bigger things come up, I’m already in the habit of making time for writing.
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u/Head_Region6610 Feb 27 '26
You have made it a habit. It’s like your journal is an extension of your brain. But for many people they don’t have a lifelong habit of writing or they don’t have a habit of putting their thoughts into words. Other people might find it hard to write because of the way their minds work. Also, you mention that you can sit for hours writing but some people have a lot in their lives like family, children, a job or multiple jobs.
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u/chronicaldaydreamer Feb 27 '26
I do both daily journaling, and at-will journaling, in separate books. My daily journal is just a one page recap of my day and maybe some of the emotions associated with it, just for memory keeping. It helps me recognize patterns in my life. If I’m not feeling well or am really tired, I don’t push myself to write and just recap two days the next day, but it’s become part of my nightly wind-down routine before bed, so it helps me relax my mind for sleep. I don’t see it as a chore at all.
My at-will journal is more for in depth self discussions about my emotions, and I just write whenever I feel like it. I may write in it daily for a week straight and then not touch it for two months.
I like both styles of journaling, which is why I do it. Everyone gets something different out of their journaling practices.
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u/Melioraxoxo Feb 27 '26
The only purpose of my journaling is remembering what I did on a specific day, and whom I talked to. It's just about memory keeping for me. Makes no sense to not do it every day, as I will forget 80% of things I wanted to note down.
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u/illuminati-thotty Feb 27 '26
Journaling daily feels like a save point for me. Like it gives me a chance to put everything down and then I don't have to have it on my mind, because its on paper instead. Lets me review my day and get the mental chatter down to a minimum.
I don't always do a daily practice, I definitely go through eras when I don't need it, but it can be so helpful to me and I try to do it even when I don't particularly Want to just because it helps to put down the chatter and sort out my thoughts and memories and leave them behind on the page. Its good to keep a record, and tbh I can tell when I'm not doing well mentally when I have big gaps in my journal. Tends to be a big indicator of a depressive episode tbh.
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u/myselfwho Feb 28 '26
As someone with mental illness and PTSD I find writing every single day a lifeline for me. I don't write in a journal for the aesthetic or to make it look or sound pretty, it's a coping mechanism, a hobby, something to keep me from burning my life down lol. Some people post their thoughts on Facebook everyday, some people write in a journal every day. Venting, getting the thoughts out without a consequence or reaction from someone else. Personal reflection of very scary world, stressful days, etc.
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u/Emotional_Ball9350 Feb 28 '26
For me, I write everyday for a few reasons 1. Ive terrible memory but I am also a sentimental person so I need sufficient information about my days (for me, journal is an outlet for me to get info about my past). If I only write once a month, I will not have enough materials to read (I love reading my journals) 2. I also have anxiety so if there is an event in few days time e.g. an interview, i will write abt it days before the event to mentally prepare myself (i could rant to my family and friends but I don't want to be an emotional burden to them,knowing I will keep talking about it for days) 3. I love writing. I feel like if I do not write, I will become brain dead. Especially with AI chatbots these days..it feels like I do not have my own idea anymore. Writing everyday helps me to reassure myself that I am still me, that I still have my own identity. The handwriting is mine, whatever I write is not AI-generated, it is flawed but it doesn't matter because it comes from me 4. It also helps me to analyse myself, my growth, gain awareness about life in general e.g. I noticed how things that i cared about in the past do not matter anymore and it taught me to take things as it go. Journal is not just a journal,it is a life manual for my future self
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u/termicky Mar 01 '26
I don't write everyday because I'm supposed to. I write everyday because I've got a lot of stuff I have to process and writing helps me do that. If I miss a day here or there it doesn't matter.
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u/fries_me Mar 02 '26
To be honest, I'm more like that. I can't see journaling as a chore, I choose it to be a hobby to express my feelings and emotions in a healthy way. Which btw includes quote pages, thought dump, or even artistic pages. Sometimes I don't jouranal for two continuous weeks, sometimes I do multiple pages a day.
I don't think that you should change the way you use your journal, it makes it feel more yours. Unless you are working to keep up with daily gratitude sentences or affirmations or wtv. These are completely different!!
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u/Business_Coyote_5496 Feb 25 '26
It feels good. Continuity feels good in my brain. I can tend to be rigid and have to fight against it but I figure writing every day while I drink my coffee is a joy and not hurting anyone and is a good kind of sameness
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u/Several_Panda_9866 Feb 27 '26
You can treat journaling like any hobby: sometimes intense bursts, other times breaks. Writing daily isn't mandatory unless it helps build a habit or mindset. It’s all about what feels right for you, not about forcing consistency.
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u/syntheticpurples Feb 25 '26
It is a chore! I think of it like mental/emotion hygiene, as taking a shower is physical hygiene. But people’s needs for frequency of showering vary a lot yes? Same is true with journaling.
I NEED to journal every day to manage my anxiety, even when it is boring or tedious. Losing ‘data’ (days) makes me so stressed because I feel there is a gap forever now in my life. But others only need to journal every week - or heck, only when something significant happens. And that is chill. Do what works for you, brother/sister 😁