Why You Should Keep A Diary

"Memory... is the diary that we all carry around with us" - Oscar Wilde.

Writing in a diary appears to be an activity for teenagers to fantasise about their crush or an outlet for people to confess their deepest, darkest, most vulnerable secrets - but this isn't the case. The art of journaling has existed for hundreds of years and without diarists such as Ann Frank and Samuel Pepys, there would be a large gap in our world's history. Although your journal may not be used in the next documentary as a huge discovery, there are a great deal of reasons why you should continue to keep a diary or even start one.

To record events. This is arguably the ruling reason as to why diaries are kept. Writing a journal is seen as a way to re-live particular events, such as a night out you'd like to remember or meeting your role-model. Whether this be documentation in the form of an entry or a photo, it's always a great idea to have it registered. As the times goes by, one of the most delightful things to do is to flick back through the pages of your journal and reminisce about these times.

For the mental health benefits. If something is troubling us or we feel strongly about something, we are often told to discuss it with someone. A diary offers an excellent alternative to verbally talking about these certain topics. Countless medical professionals have approved of journaling as a method of managing overwhelming emotions, releasing negative energy and to reduce stress and anxiety. Writing forces you to examine yourself, thus allowing you to gain clarity on your thoughts that may have been floating around aimlessly. It is additionally said that the act of moving a pen on paper is therapeutic, as way of releasing exasperation.

To enhance your creativity. Journaling has the power of unlocking your inner creativity and letting it loose into the open. The space can be used in any way you wish: sketching an intricate dress or writing the weekly shopping, it's up to you. Allow your thoughts and ideas to naturally spill onto the pages and optimise your creative potential. Perhaps you're more creative than you think!

You'll get to know yourself. Some people see journaling as a truthful self-reflection and self-judgement of a particular situation they were involved in or problems that they experienced. This is a great chance to dwell on the actions you performed and to evaluate them. It is therefore a moment to reflect on past mistakes in order to avoid repeating them and to know how to act if you are ever confronted by a similar situation in the future. By appreciating your strengths, recognising your weaknesses and working to ameliorate them, your self-esteem will grow notably over time.

To improve your memory. Humans are naturally bad at retaining information. We forget the majority of what we hear and read. That's a fact. However, it is scientifically proven that the simple act of writing something down can boost your memory by up to forty percent. Writing in a diary creates a separation between important and non-important information, thus allowing your memory to target and fix useful pieces of information into your mind.