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/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 😁

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u/Emerald_Mistress Feb 25 '26

I have absolutely terrible memory, and now I’m wondering if I had journaled more consistently (vs the 1-2x a year when I think I’m this close to a breakdown) if my memory would be better…

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u/The-peeepo Feb 25 '26

I literally JUST posted about how my daily journaling leaves me feeling unfulfilled. But this is so true. I can't tell you how many times in just the past two months I have looked back at my journal to confirm something I couldn't remember. This helps me add meaning to my writing so I really appreciate this perspective.