Ten reasons why you should start keeping a diary

In the past, many people regularly kept personal diaries, where they recorded the day’s events and their observations. Without diarists like Anne Frank and Samuel Pepys, we wouldn’t know much about the personal side of our history.
Although people nowadays keep blogs or vlogs, and record their lives on social media, very few of us put pen to paper and write down our experiences. Why not try it?
Keeping a diary is something I’ve tried many times in the past, but until three years ago I never succeeded longer than a week. My first successful experience was a month-long travel journal from a backpacking trip – I wanted to make sure I could remember every single detail of such an exciting experience! I was proud to have done that, but I am even more proud to say that for the last five months I have kept a diary going! I am living abroad for a short period of time, and I want to remember all my new experiences in the future.
So why am I doing this? And why do I think you should too?
1. You can record special events.
People take photos so they can remember days out, parties, etc. A diary is like a completely personal, written photo, recording the things only you saw in as much or as little detail as you like.
2. You can record normal events too.
You might think that normal days are boring, until you start writing. I’ve started seeing the special aspects of normal events, such as funny remarks or interesting things I’ve seen.
3. You can record your thoughts and feelings.
You remember how things made you feel on certain days or in certain places, so your memory is more detailed.
4. This is a kind of therapy after bad days.
Getting your feelings written down on paper feels much better than keeping them to yourself. It can also help you think about things more clearly, and maybe even help decide how you feel about things if you are unsure.
5. In fact, it’s therapeutic even on good days!
Make a hot drink, snuggle into a comfy chair and take half an hour just for you and your diary. It feels great!
6. You can improve your writing skills.
Practice makes perfect! Seeing your writing develop is very rewarding.
7. Why not try a foreign language?
Practise your language skills and improve your vocab, without worrying about mistakes – it’s for you, not for anyone else!
8. Appreciate your successes.
Sometimes, we don’t appreciate what we achieve – writing down a challenge you overcame and how you did it makes you realise this!
9. Assess your mistakes.
On the other hand, you can understand things you could have done better, if you have to write something down and consider it.
10. Leave the future You something to look back on!
In a year or so, you can see how you have developed as a person. If you revisit a place, you can read what you saw or felt last time. Maybe you’ll even show future generations what you used to be like!
I wish you the very best of luck with your diary!
Comments
When I was little I had a diary, but now I mostly don't have time to write ''to myself''. It would be nice to maybe resume this amazing process and maybe do it in English. It would be good to improve my English as well. Diary is a very personal thing, thats why everyone should have it, to write something good for yourself at least once a week.
I have a diary, but I do it hardly ever, I would like to write-it more often.
I like to write Diary in everyday. I am always write in English. I write my diary every night . I am always review my every day and wrote something special what I did today. Some write what I am doing next week and next month. Diary is very Necessary to In moment in your life.
I don't write a diary,but I would like to. In fact, I do something similiar,because I keep a notebook where I put photos of me when I was young,my essay I have done,my poems,my dad's poem dedicated me for my birthday,small pieces of something I have experienced. I do all this,because as you know sometimes "A photo tells more than a story",and why to keep it secret:I am not very good in words. Every time that I am bored,I open this notebook and it cheers me up.
Hi sona, interesting to hear that you have a good friend (diary) to cheer you up and to get rid of your boredom!
I'm a curious animal and I'd like to read your lovely poem! ☆
Let me read it someday, sons?
I sometimes write a diary but not always... But i think it is very good to write a diary because i can keep it and when i grow up, i could read it :) And i think it's fun to read my diary myself ! Also i can improve my writing skills :D
Yes I do , and I think that my diary is my best friend , but it's impossible to share it with anybody ,even my friends
do you share your diary with others , why ?
When I was younger, I used to enjoy exchanging a shared diary with my good friend! We played together at school and kept in touch even at home by scribbling whatever we wanted to talk down on the diary. I miss the habit! Are you interested in exchanging a shared journal, Saionji? If you are, I'd be happy to restart it! ⭐︎
Hi Elsa007
Oh that's amazing! if you can restart it , I think that'll be great !
It's just like what me and my sisters used to do , we always talked to each other by messages, so my pencil would never leave my hand (:
Of course now I don't do it anymore, but sometimes we text each other on some social media website, but I can't deny that it was more interesting with pencil and paper!
I want to writing diary but I haven't kept a diary going because I usually forget writing before sleeping.
In 20 years I won’t remember today; that scares me. – I am keeping a diary and I write about everything. My diary is great way to keep track of my past and think about my future. I can make predictions about what will happen and see if they come true, and I can see how I changed over time, and read over memories, having a few laughs.
I had a diary when i was 12...But the idea whit improve another language by writing is very usefull and very good...Thank you for the idea!
I used to write a diary when I was 8. Now i don't do this because I have the lack of free time. But I loved the idea about a diary in a foreign language.
Well,i've tried it many times but I was bored.I should try one more time because after these 10 reasons I think it's good to have a diary because you will record every moment every feeling you had that day.
I wrote diary when I was younger but I stopped. I think it is very good thing because there are lots of happy moments which we want to remember. We can also write things which we want to stay secrets. Then we will feel more happy and less lonely.
I dont write a diary.
I first started writing a diary when i was in 1st standard. Not regularly of course but it was like a hobby which i did often. At first I was not good in vocabulary and usually made a lot of mistakes but as time passed, I became a lot better in English and now when i read my old diaries i feel so good and i still remember many of my life events just because of my diary. But since 2-3 years i have almost completely stopped writing. It has been 8 years since i first wrote a diary and i want to start writing again....if only i get a little more time.
yes
i don't write a diary but i think that it's a good idea
I used to keep a diary but I stopped,I don´t know why.Maybe it´s time to start another one.
yes !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
yes
I'm writing a diary too.Not always, i'm busy. I write some important or special events for me.I describe some people, some places. I just want to keep it in my mind, so i write it . Diary is something like bestie to me :')
Like a best friend, a diary is a good listener! It sounds like a good idea to pick the things that are important to you, as no one has time to write down everything.
Yeah, i just live in hope that nobody will find my 'listener' :)
Btw, nice story!
I used to write a diary when i was in junior high school, i wrote all of memories that i past a day, what was my feeling that day and remembered funny accidents that happened to me. I also wrote important events and how much i spent my money each day.
Right now, i don't keep a diary anymore, i only read it at times and it's really fun to read what i've written in the past. It remembers me about my buddies and all of memories we've been through since i decided to move with my parents after graduating from junior high school.
I do the same thing with my travel diary! It's like a really detailed photo album, and it's nice to remember all the fun things that happened.
I am keeping a diary, but I don't write every day. I write just importing things for me. And while doing this, I enjoy a lot! Because I am able to write my feelings on it. And it makes me happy. After writing something, I read them later over and over! That's lovely and funny!
That's great! The good thing about a diary is that it's just for you, so you can write as much or as little as you like, about anything. Have you tried writing it in English?
I always write my diary in English! I do almost everything in English. Because it helps me improve my English!