Journal Writing is Your Safe Harbor

Why?

No, really. Why? Why does your journal writing stress your out? You should view your journal as your safe harbor. A place where you can express yourself in any fashion. Feeling angry and want to write out every curse word you know? Go ahead. Feeling full of love and have visions of flowers and hearts? Write about it. Having fantasies of hitting that constantly yapping dog with a shovel? Write it out. Writing is extremely cathartic. It can relieve those awful feelings and it can also enhance those fantastic ones.

If you don't view your journal as a safe harbor it is best to explore why you have these feelings. That's right. Pick up your journal and start writing or typing away. Ask yourself, What is keeping me from feeling safe within these pages? Make a list of possible ideas to explore. Here are a few to get you started:

Is it an issue of privacy? That is easily solved by hiding your diary or putting a lock on it. Most computer journal programs are password secure and encrypted. There are ways to keep your diary private. Use them. Also, no one has the right to read your journal (regardless of their relationship to you).

Is it an issue of not wanting to forever memorialize your awful, hateful feelings? You could type everything out on the computer, read it, then delete it. You could write everything out and then burn the paper. Maybe, after doing this a few times you will feel comfortable enough to let the writing (and your feelings) exist as is.

Is it an issue of you being too boring, stupid, emotional, insecure, whiny, needy? Feeling safe within the pages of your journal means that you have to accept the different states of you. In fact, journal writing will help you become more familiar and comfortable with the different states of you. Go ahead and write pages and pages about your little toe nail. No one has to see this. If someday, after you are dead, this comes to light. So what? You will be long gone and (if you believe this) your reincarnated soul will be around to read your fascinating account (and wonder why this interests him/her so much).

Is it an issue of not wanting to touch on certain topics? You might have started journaling to write about certain topics and now find you cannot. That's okay. You don't have to do it. Write about other things until you feel comfortable to approach the topic you really want to explore. Sometimes it takes some time to feel comfortable with your journal. Don't feel guilty that you are writing about your day when you really want to be writing about how you are really lonely or hurting. Write what you can and know that when the time is right you will be able to do what you need to do. Take it one page at a time.

Explore your reasons for not feeling safe within the pages of your journal. Write down every possible issue and work towards solutions. Don't rush yourself. It is like any other relationship, you need to build trust and familiarity.