Diaries

I do- every night without fail.

It's a great thing for me as I am a worrier and it helps me to get them on paper, it's good to be able to read back on them and see which where unfounded.

I also like to have a record of what we do each year and often read back.

I would say I also right them so future family members if future years can read back on what we did, but I wouldn't be comfortable with my great grandchildren reading some of the things i write and record!?

I don't at the moment but have thought that since I have been diagnosed with the big C that I will. May help to deal with all my emotions. ?? etc!

I am really sorry to hear that. x

I can understand that that it can be a good form of release for you.

I was thinking of this too. How comfortable would I be with someone else reading it? I know this sounds bad but I also don't want my husband to read it, not that i have anything to hide it's just that i think i would just feel weird.

MM, I'd missed this. I'm so sorry to hear this x

Thank you - I only posted on BT hence why you may have missed it. I have Bowel cancer - not bad at 35!!!!

MM, one of the other reason i do my photo diary and write a diary was to remind me that there was more to my life than just my health issues, without keeping a record it would be quite easy for me to look back on a year and think it only consisted of me being ill- because I write everything we do I have reminder of all the good things. Also a record of how far I come and sometimes how far I have gone.

Also one of my friends has just come through having cancer and she kept a blog, it was for herself and also so she could let her friends and family know what she was going through and how she was feeling. She sometimes felt it was easier to be honest about how she felt in writing than when people asked her how she was feeling.

It's great to read back now and see how she beat it and picked herself up from the lowest points x

Love as always, to you.

With regards to worries about people reading my diary- Mr MF knows he can read it whenever he would like to, but he also knows I would prefer him not to do so without me. I know I could leave it open in front of him, and he wouldn't pick it up and read it.

I would hate strangers to read it, and would hate for my son to read it when he is older- though I will certainly read to him parts of it about his childhood if he wants to hear about it!

If he does ever sneak a peak without my knowledge, I am sure he will regret it more than i will!

Also, have you thought about art journals? If you don't feel like writing, it can be therapeutic to make collages of pictures / words that express your mood. There's loads of online info on them.

I'm a worrier too and I often wonder whether keeping a diary might help me to 'let things out', especially as I don't always feel comfortable talking about some of my worries with other people.

It may sound a bit of a silly question but I don't know if I'd know where to start, iyswim? Do you literally write down everything that's happened throughout the day?

When I have done them before I just write whatever I am feeling and if that includes some aspects of the day then I include them - but not necessarily everything that has happened.

Should i just google 'art journal'? I do love photo's!

I remember a while back that a few people on here were doing a photo a day which i thought was a great idea.

Maybe I could write a small amount and add a picture to the page that represents my day.

Photo a day is great - it is quite a commitment though. I think your idea is great about a photo and a write up.That could be a really good way to get started.

Some art journal links - I've never managed to be this creative though ? :

Youtube

https://www.flickr.com/groups/37622761@N00/ (this looks seriously arty at first glance)

https://kporterfield.com/journal/Illuminations.html

I've not successfully done any art journalling as it looks to me to need a lot of time BUT I think it can be quite handy for days when you just don't know what to wrote, IYSWIM.

But I really like your idea of a photo as a starting and some words around it - and then you'll probably find your journal takes you in the direction that is right for you - either more words or more pictures.