why junk journaling is perfect for anxious girls in their 20 somethings
From my High School Musical diary in primary school, chronicling weekend plans, to my current 25-year-old self with an Italian leather journal brimming with deep thoughts, journaling is my best friend
‘Junk Journaling’ or ‘Journaling’ has become a current TikTok trend with the most aesthetic videos of girls on their Euro summer trips or cute coffee errands, writing down their thoughts and feelings with adorable stationery and cute doodles. Personally, I love consuming all this content, but for me, journaling has been a constant in my life that hasn’t always looked so pretty. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a diary or notebook I’ve kept under my pillow where I keep tabs on my life and my feelings. Some of them have been rather naive and cute, adorned with total girl posters glued on some pages and hand-drawn calendars of my weekly plans. Others became more intense as I developed into my early teens, unpacking bad days, angry emotions I’ve built up from being sent to my room by my mom, or even unpacking insecurities I had at the time. Although I didn’t keep the diary I had in my early days of high school because my dad actually found it and made me throw it out due to my rageful comments—being a middle child, that’s rather self-explanatory—I do remember unpacking some bullying I was dealing with at the time, mostly due to being Muslim and Arab. I remember feeling heavily insecure about my nose, my hairy arms, and my habit of touching my hair, which was caused by my anxiety as well. I also remember unpacking some friendship issues i was experiencing and even how i felt about become an older woman.
Although I’m happy that life is much better now, I still find myself needing to debrief in some way. I’ve learned that there’s only so much advice and listening someone I love can give me before I need to unpack it or let it go myself. I used to be the friend who sent dozens of Snapchat videos at the end of the day, unpacking every single thought and feeling, hoping for a friend to reply with words of encouragement to help me navigate my anxiety. Now, perhaps due to my frontal lobe developing, having fewer friends, or maybe even the fact that I’m navigating my anxiety with professionals, keeping a diary as I did as a kid has been the most helpful way to relax and reflect.
Although journaling may have turned into an aesthetic hobby that you may think requires a fancy journal, expensive pens and neat handwriting, it most definitely isn’t. Some days my journal has long thoughts on my life, both positive and negative and some days its short and sweet with cafes i want to try and printed out images on Pinterest i like of my dream home and outfit inspiration i’m gravitating towards. I also find if you’re a creative and find joy in little creative hobbies and maybe feel like you’re not exerting all your energy which can be truely exhausting, this is a fun and a low maintenance way to keep memories and detox your busy brain at the end of the day.
some tips i recommend to get you started
find a journal that had a flexible spine incase you want to glue down images and cute receipts, letters etc in there. Doesn’t have to be expensive!
Get a good pen you find comfortable to write with, nothing too expensive because you’ll throw it in your handbag anyways.
If you can find a diary with a sleeve to keep little keepsakes, extra points!!
don’t take it too seriously, the messier the more unique.
Try to remember to note the positive alongside the negative. Its easier to feel down and let it all out on a page (which is so fine) but don’t forget to keep track of the positive moments too. Your love, family, travel or even work and academic achievements.
my go-to writing prompts
Daily recap (leave nothing out)
Things that are making me happy and or sad also things i love and or hate
My goals (in regards to my career, personal life etc)
Books i am reading and notes on them, also books i hope to read
Current favourite show, movie, podcast and songs etc
Some quotes i like and why
Notes to my younger self and future self
A letter to someone i love or someone who isn’t in my life anymore
Visual media of my dream house, family life or dream trip.
I also enjoy putting down content ideas and plans as i usually come up with ideas at the most random times
If you need more, Pinterest has plenty of journal prompt ideas! If you’re not into writing too much, explore scrapbooking and drawing alongside it. Stick memorable and random papers, flyers, receipts, etc., as a fun way to detox your thoughts too! Some of my old diaries have movie tickets, concert tickets, and even maps. There are no rules. Romanticise the little moments and channel your inner Carrie Bradshaw through boring days and mid-week ruts.
Happy Writing <3
Honestly I used to document everything! Every family trip, every photobooth pic taken, every angry rants about people who made me angry, happy and sad LOL. And I’m glad I did because I can look back and see how far my frontal lobe developed and see that children are a lot more honest about their opinions (which is an attribute I still want to hold on to)! I’ve been out of the journaling game during highschool but never stopped scrapbooking! But now I’m back to journaling and scrapbooking and even letters to my self in 10 years!
I’ve been journaling for 5 years now, but every time I stop, I seem to have nowhere to put my thoughts. This leads to being anxious and replaying things over and over before I go to sleep. I 100% think that keeping a journal and not taking it too seriously is a perfect way to deal with anxiety. Thanks again for sharing, Nawal😊💫🩵