I’ve( 22M ) been an overthinker for almost my entire life. Not only that, I have hyper-anxiety and overwhelmness. I haven’t been scheduled with a psychiatrist so far.

A few months ago, I seriously realized that I was wasting my time on devices( phones, laptops etc) and haven’t been paying attention to real life and responsibilities. Because I had made devices as a way to escape from reality.

Then I made a schedule to maintain that included low and controlled use of devices and some other things. Journaling was also a part of that.

I began to write my daily events on a journal app in my phone. I had a physical diary that I started to use to write down advices, methods, facts, important instructions that I was gathering from youtube. That diary is now filled around 60%.

I continued writing my daily journal in the app for 1.5 months and then lost the drive to continue for unknown reason. Consider this one of my main psychological problem. I lose drive very quickly.

Then I realized that, when I continued journaling, I had more control of my overall daily activity that I used to do. I had less laziness, more energy, more drive, healthy sleep schedule etc. And now, it seems that I’ve sunken into my peak rabbithole again.

Now I’m seeking advices from people who turned their life in a positive way by writing journals as a first step. Any other advices except journaling is also welcomed.

  • TwistyLex@discuss.tchncs.de
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    3 hours ago

    A thought for why it may have been easier for you to regularly use your paper journal while not maintaining the digital journal: it may be a matter of visual cuing.

    With the paper journal it sits somewhere that you’ll see it regularly, probably along your route to bed. Seeing the journal may have been your mental cue to write in it, as opposed to simple routine or habit. You don’t get the same kind of cue from a digital journal because even a set reminder is no different from the bevy of notifications your phone gives you throughout the day.

    Something that could help you keep up with your digital journal is to start keeping a physical journal in the same place you kept your old one. Maybe put an NFC tag in it that just launches your digital journal when scanned/tapped. Then you’ll still have that visual cue and habit reaction force to keep you journaling.

  • Omega@discuss.online
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    17 hours ago

    it can help when you feel like ranting to someone

    It helps when trying to make difficult questions

    You can also write your daily experiences to look back on the changes

    If you have a therapist, it also helps for them to check your state, prevents you from forgetting to mention anything important or if you lock up because you’re feeling emotional or having a panic attack

    If you have a logical side that’s hurting from human problems a journal can help you regain a sense of control and plan out your next actions, where ordinarily you might freak out or make split second decisions even if you normally wouldn’t want to do it or know it would be bad but being unable to help yourself

  • Uncurable Utopia @lemm.eeOP
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    1 day ago

    Thank you to all who gave me precious advices and insights.

    I’ve grasped my understanding of thought process and ways to channel them through different methods like journaling.

    I’ve also learned not to feel down in my unaccomplishment and to go forward no matter what. Because in the long run, it’s the action that counts. If I do nothing, I’ll succumb into the loophole of my unaccomplishment more which will make the mental toll on me greater.

    Also, I’ll give you guys update if I can shift in a way I’ve never walked before. Peace 🤝🫂

  • Sixty@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    I use Joplin mostly with a two way NAS sync, but it’s not usually profound for me. Doesn’t really include my day to day experience, and acts more like an external memory bank and junk drawer.

    Looks like this.

    Really I’ve been relying heavily on Signal’s note to self feature, while Joplin is more long form in my case.

      • Sixty@sh.itjust.works
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        12 hours ago

        On extended fasts you need some minerals mixed in with some daily drinking water. That’s just what the internet went with as the name for it at the time. Some meathead youtuber coined it lol. His mix is outdated info these days.

      • Sixty@sh.itjust.works
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        1 day ago

        Yep.

        It’s quite handy considering there’s a desktop app too. So I also use it as an alternative to stuff like syncing OS clipboards between various computers, since the idea of Microsoft having access to mine gives me the ick.

        • SqueakySpider@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          1 day ago

          Yeah, I use obsidian now for notes to self instead of Google keep but signal sounds good for things I don’t want to organize in the moment. As well as a synced clipboard

    • Uncurable Utopia @lemm.eeOP
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      1 day ago

      I’ve started to use “Capacities” recently.

      I just write down events of the day 1 sentence in a line. Timestamps excluded.

      • Sixty@sh.itjust.works
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        1 day ago

        Oooh a block-based editor, for an over-thinker I bet that’s like crack haha.

        Glad you discovered ways to organize your noisy mind. I’ll have to share Capacities with a dear friend who has a mind more like yours.

  • friend_of_satan@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Writing is a form of thinking, particularly on topics and information that nobody but you knows. If that form of thinking is beneficial to your wellbeing, then prioritize it.

    This is tangent, but I think that AI is going to have negative effects on human psychology because writing something yourself as a way to think is better than having an AI write it for you and you just agree with it and edit it.

  • Libb@jlai.lu
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    2 days ago

    Now I’m seeking advices from people who turned their life in a positive way by writing journals as a first step

    I’ve been journaling since I was a 7-8 years old boy (now nearing my 60s). Don’t worry about pausing your journal. It’s not a job, it’s your journal. If it can be compared to anything, it’s a tool. You don’t always carry your hammer with you when you don’t need it, right? Neither do I. So, I’ve had plenty breaks where I did not use my journal at all. Ranging from a few days to a few… years. That’s fine. I know my journal is there, when I need it.

    Not blaming yourself for not journaling can also make it simpler to get back to it. I mean, if you don’t feel bad for not writing in your journal you will not hesitate to re-open it and start writing in it again.

    It doesn’t matter for how long I’ve not been using it, I never feel bad starting again. IN reality it even feels great as it’s a lot more like meeting one of my best friends I had lost touch with for a long time, and we’ve so much to tell!

    Now I’m seeking advices from people who turned their life in a positive way by writing journals as a first step.

    That’s a bit vague to suggest anything.

    What I can say is that it helped me all my life. When I was a little boy going through what people nowadays would call some serious trauma, as a teen going through that thick and seemingly endless stupidity period I was stuck in, as a young adult when I decided to change life (I quit my well-paying job and decided to live a much more simple (and poorer) live). And so on, up to this day. It also helps me face mistakes I can make. It helps me even for more mundane things… simply by allowing me to take a step back from whatever it is I’m journaling about, allowing me to look at it more calmly, to think about it in a non-emotional way (or less emotional).

    Like you already realized it’s great to feel more in control too.

    It also helps me keep track of stuff I simply want to remember in the long run. Last but not least, it helps me be more present too. How? Journaling helps me be more attentive and so does sketching which I also do in my journal—badly and, exactly like making pauses, I’m 100% fine with that.

    What helps me journaling almost daily nowadays is that I made it as simple as possible: I don’t try to make nice sentences. I don’t mind making mistakes and crossing out stuff. It’s a work-in-progress that will never be finished. One day, I will be gone and I won’t be able to write that one last sentence: ‘today, I died.’ ;)

    For years, I had been using some a digital tool of some sort (word processor, journaling app, voice recorder, whatever) but I’ve come back to the analog way, good old pen and paper, because I never felt the same connection using digital, and because I don’t feel confident writing what are sometimes my most intimate thoughts into something that is connected to the Internet or worse, that is stored online, an app that can read what I write and do god knows what with it.

    My journal stays at home. So, to journal on the go (which I always do) I use a small pocket notebook I carry with me. Somethig xheap with a cheap ballpoint pen I don’t mind losing. Later on, I copy whatever is in that pocket notebook to my ‘real’ journal. To make it quick to write on the go I don’t write full sentences in that pocket notebook, I use my own shorthand I devised along the years.

    If you have other (more specific) questions, feel free to ask them.

    BTW, you (and anyone else reading this) are more than welcome to join the [email protected] community. I’m the admin and I would love to see more people share their experience/doubts/questions, like you just did. Hopefully that would motivate others to start doing it as well.

    • Uncurable Utopia @lemm.eeOP
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      2 days ago

      Thank you for you detailed insights!

      One thing I’ve discovered about my mentality is that, I’ve developed a perfectionist perspective/mindset that was resulted from the pressure my parent gave me for me to become the best in everything. Which I couldn’t. And this perfectionist mindset didn’t only stayed in study sector sadly.

      Meaning, I DO get upset/sad if I cannot do a task I had planned and scheduled beforehand. That feeling of failure takes a toll upon my mental energy and it keeps me disabled, distant from reality for a long time( 10-12 hours ).

      Whereas, If I face a sudden failure unknowingly of myself, I almost don’t feel a thing.

      After reading your insight, maybe I’m sensing a change in my perspective. A positive change. Maybe I can LET GO of the feeling of failure and move on…

      Will update in this community if I can make a positive shift in my life…

      • Libb@jlai.lu
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        1 day ago

        Thank you for you detailed insights!

        You’re welcome.

        One thing I’ve discovered about my mentality is that, I’ve developed a perfectionist perspective/mindset

        Perfectionism is the enemy of creativity, which journaling can be considered a form of but that’s true of any form of writing. Perfectionism will often be used as an excuse to not finish/publish a text. I learned at a very young age to say to my own perfectionism to fuck off. Even for simple stuff like commenting here on lemmy I’m OK with publishing posts/comments in English (which means that they contain even more mistakes than they would have in my native French), I’m ok with mistakes and I can always edit the ones I see later on. I’m also ok with not having a fully articulated expression of what I really want to say (for that you would need to read and me to write in French). And that’s true for any other published work, not just here on Lemmy (I may have been writing for a living, younger).

        As far as I’m concerned, I consider perfectionism one of my worst enemy. I see it as my own fear of realizing I’m far from being as good I imagine I am ;)

        After reading your insight, maybe I’m sensing a change in my perspective. A positive change. Maybe I can LET GO of the feeling of failure and move on…

        So glad to know that!

        Don’t be afraid (really) to try letting go of that perfectionism. Worst case: it won’t help you. But if it does help you, you will never regret getting rid of that shit feeling.

        A warning before you try anything new: you need to be prepared, like be OK in you head, like for real because it’s the most likely outcome, with the idea that you will fail at doing it, that will fail the first time, and maybe the second time and maybe more. And even if you don’t fail, you may be ok with doing something great either. That’s not an issue. That’s how you begin. That’s how anyone begins. Trying to get rid of that shit feeling of perfectionism you will indeed fight years-long education and habits. It’s not just an on/off switch so be ok with that ;)

        We now live in an age that hates failing and is in absolute adoration before perfectionism(at least as much as it is in adoration before money). That is the most stupid thing ever conceived; And it is even more so for all the kids that are being taught that. Because, simply put, failing is essential part of leaning. I would even say failing is the only legit way to learn anything that is worth learning.

        How did you learn to walk? By walking a marathon or running a sprint like some athlete or was it by falling on your diapered toddler bum one clumsy step after another, over and over again? Yeah, not that brilliant but be assured that was the exactly the same with me. How did you learn to write? By writing poetry that put to shame dear Shakespeare at your very first attempt? Or by making a shit ton of mistakes, and by writing each letter clumsily one at a time, and then, after years of practice, by realizing you were indeed able to write your first (but still rather poorly worded) real sentences? So did I. And I experience that with every single language I learn(ed), even more so with non-Latin languages. And how did you (maybe?) learn to kiss, and more? Don’t tell me you were at the top of your art from your first kiss, and that you were a perfect lover the first time too because I certainly wasn’t (and, decades later, still am not ;)

        Failing and then trying to understand how and why, and how to avoid repeating the exact same mistake, is at the core of learning and therefore should be at the core of any quality teaching too. Not telling kids they’re perfect and all they do is amazing. That’s bullshit. Alas, it’s that bullshit that is now the norm. Heck, teachers in schools nowadays are even afraid to give poor grades to students as that could be traumatizing for the kids… forgetting that’s it’s the sole purpose of giving a grade: to assess the level of assimilation of whatever the student was supposed to have studied. Sad state of affair out of which the real losers here are those students that don’t learn essential knowledge and skills anymore. They’re the ones that are being screwed up.

        Sorry, for that rant. It’s something that worries me a lot to watch so many younger people being frozen by the fear of failing despite being at the very age where they should happily be taking so many fucking risks and be daring of trying the most stupid shit. I also worry a lot realizing those younger ones are very quickly becoming unable to read and write, or to do simple math. Meaning they aren’t able to learn and understand much by themselves, and less and less able to communicate whatever thought, emotion, or idea they may wish to share.

        To get back to your situation: your journal is not a work of art that will end up exposed in art galleries nor in a museum, maybe you will do stuff that will end up exposed and studied, no one can predict the future, but they should not be your journal. That journal is one of the tools in your toolbox with which you will do what you want with your life. It’s also a work in progress. Use it, abuse it, experiment in it, break it as often as you feel like it. In a few decades, when you will look back at your old journals, you will be happy you have tried (and failed) so many times at so many things. And I’m willing to bet you will be happy to have kept a record of all those failed and imperfect attempts of yours ;)

      • AnarchistArtificer@slrpnk.net
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        1 day ago

        Hopefully later, I’ll find time to reply more substantially, but I just wanted to say that reading this comment, my first response was “hard relate”.

        I also struggle with a perfectionist mindset which causes me to get into a “failure-spiral”, where the demoralisation from failing causes me to disengage and continue to fail.

        “After reading your insight, maybe I’m sensing a change in my perspective. A positive change. Maybe I can LET GO of the feeling of failure and move on.”

        This is a really positive achievement, and I’m proud of you for it. However, it’s important to remember that a quest like this never really stops. Regarding my own propensity to put more pressure on myself, and my frustration that I could neatly solve that problem, a friend compared the effort spent on self improvement to my heart beat — a rhythm that is essential to life, something that only finishes when my life does. This is to say that I’d wager that there will be a point where you will fail in your quest to let go of the feeling of failure. You will inevitably burn out and slip into old patterns of thinking that are harmful to you.

        But something I cannot emphasise enough is that this is okay. It’s a part of growth and healing. You’ve grown around this mentality for years, so it’s going to take tenacity and time to unpick that and build something new. The important thing is to build the rhythm. When you find yourself failing to fail gracefully, give yourself some time and space to wallow, if you need it, then get back up and keep trying.

        Maybe this perfectionist mentality is something you will never fully shake and that’s okay, as long as you keep yourself grounded in where you’re trying to go and who you’re trying to be. Come back and read this post, or other writings of yours that remind you that you want to be more than what you are now. Genuine progress is so subtle and slow that it’s hard to notice it when you’re focussed on pushing forwards, but if you keep yourself grounded and know where you want to go, you will make progress.

  • Photuris@lemmy.ml
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    1 day ago

    I never really saw the point of journaling, so it never “took” for me.

    I write a bunch of stuff down, and then what? What do I “do” with it? Do I read it again later? No, I won’t do that. Somebody else reads it? No, it’s not intended for that.

    So, I don’t journal as such.

    I do organize my tasks and things to remember in a bullet journal (bujo) format, though, and that helps. But it’s less about thoughts and feelings (long-winded opinions and observations), and more about tasks and events (simple and concise one-liner statements of fact).

    I do like bujo to keep my work organized.

    Ok, on a side note, the idea of a “commonplace” book does sound kind of appealing, though; but I guess my life is too busy to afford me the leisure and luxury of analyzing literature, writing poetry, and sketching natural wonders, or whatever. I’ve got too much shit to do. My few fleeting moments of “free time” are spent here, complaining (wow those naughty word filters are way too strict) about MAGA, basically.

    • nylo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 day ago

      that’s only a thing on .ml, the rest of lemmy agrees that censoring “bitching” is pretty silly

      • Photuris@lemmy.ml
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        1 day ago

        I’m relatively new to Lemmy: what instance(s) in your (collective) opinion strike that sweet spot between being a) very free speech oriented and minimally censored, but also b) not taken over by alt-right CHUDs, trashed up like 4chan, or hosting CP, gore, and all that nastiness that comes with zero moderation?

        What I’m looking for, is just enough moderation to keep out the 4chan shit, but anything below that threshold of actually hurting people, pretty much goes uncensored.

        I just want to use the c-word, b-word, and r-word, basically. Like, there are a lot of stories posted involving JD Vance, so…

        • Sixty@sh.itjust.works
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          Fedecan is solid. basically the current Canadian instances work together as a somewhat joint network now.

          I like mine, the admin is TheDude and I like their Dude inspired attitude. Piracy allowed here too not just dbzer0, which is why my new emulation community is there.

          It’s a toss up, but dbzer0 is more overt which is appealing. I’d go with them if I wasn’t in Canada

          Shitjustworks is very laid back in a Canadian way, and the domain name scares away prudes/puritans which is something I value like yourself.

        • nylo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          4 hours ago

          my instance (lemmy.dbzer0.com, commonly referred to as db0) is an anarchist leftist comm.

          it’s also where r/privacy r/piracy migrated to, you can find them (megathread and all) at [email protected]

          lemmy.ml, hexbear.net, and lemmygrad.ml are often called the “tankie triad” because they’re full of tankies, people will often mistake you for a tankie just by the virtue of being on that instance.

          as for other instances,

          .world is the biggest and quite liberal/centrist/moderate with pretty heavy handed moderation.

          lemmy.blahaj.zone is by trans people for trans people, I believe non-trans allies are allowed on it but if you’re not LGBT it’s probably not the best place for you.

          pawb.social is furries

          lemm.ee, lemmy.ca and sh.itjust.works I don’t know the politics of but I would assume leftist and I haven’t heard anything bad said about any of them, will leave anything past that to others.

          this might be worth a post of its own if you’re looking for more info than that tbh

          but yeah really you’re not gonna find right wing CHUDs or cp or gore or anything here there’s generally good enough content moderation to prevent that and really the only instance with crazy censorship is the one you picked lol

          e: fuckin auto cucumber

            • nylo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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              4 hours ago

              yeah I started on .world because it was the biggest (.ml is 2nd I believe) but eventually grew tired of the neoliberalism especially surrounding Luigi, always really appreciated the vibes of the db0 punks so decided to join them.

              OH I almost forgot, the final nail in the coffin was when I learned that while .world is federated with db0 they have [email protected] blocked. so as a .world user I was unable to access it at all.

              I decided they have no right to make that decision on my behalf and made this db0 account that same day

  • sidelove@lemmy.world
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    I just want to say how amusing I find it that a thread full of journalers only consists of very long comments. But overall I agree, journaling rocks. Helps organize my thoughts, and reading week-old entries helps keep my memory sharp.

  • capc8m@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Journaling is OK but what really keeps me grounded is an habit tracker. Without it my life is pure chaos.

  • ocean@lemmy.selfhostcat.com
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    2 days ago

    I don’t think journaling has had any magic for me but I really enjoy it. I write my daily tasks, random thoughts, things I learned, and feelings. I really like the act of physically writing especially with fun pens. One thing I came across recently is to right your daily highlights at the end for record keeping.

    • Uncurable Utopia @lemm.eeOP
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      For all the things I journal except for writing daily activities, I really find them enjoyable and interesting.

      I too use 2 physical diary to write down certain things. 1 is for writing down my understanding and explanation of youtube videos, forums, thread, articles that I find informative.

      And the 2nd one is for writing down random 1 line thoughts, facts, ideas throughout the entire page.

      But I can’t keep myself continuous to write my daily activities for some reason. Firstly, I don’t find it interesting, secondly, I don’t find it useful.

      What I DO want to explore is that, I keep hearing people saying that, for those who overthink, writing down their thoughts really helps.

      But I couldn’t quite take myself at that point. Maybe because I don’t know how to write my constant thoughts in an organized way or do I REALLY NEED to write down my thoughts or I need other people’s company/ or emotional relationship with someone of my opposite gender to quiet down the current inside my brain.

      I never really tried the later possibility as I am a very anti-social person. Nor do I have any “friends” whom I can hang out with freely.

      Ultimately I’m seeking to organize my entire life. May it involve the help of other persons, physiatrist, emotional bonding, socializing or just journaling as I want, I don’t care which might help.

      Other than journaling, the other methods are hardly executable for me.

      • Acamon@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        It depends on what you overthink. If it’s anxiety and stress stuff, you might be right that doing that with some safe support (friends, partners, professionals) might be wiser. But there are some techniques for quantifying and putting into perspective worries. Something that a therapist recommended and has helped me is to track specific, measurable and reasonably immediate anxieties, then tracking if they were justified or not.

        So I don’t bother writing down vague big concerns like “maybe I’m a terrible person / it’s the apocalypse / etc” but if I’m stressed about an upcoming event, interaction, or outcome I can write it down, record how anxious I am on 1-10 and then the day after it happened I record how big a deal the consequences of it actually are. And for me at least, I would often be very worried about something, but afterwards realise that it didn’t really matter much. Even if it went badly, it was just a bit awkward, it didn’t actually make my life worse or ruin anything, unlike the anxiety which impacted my life much more and for much longer. If I spend a lot of mental energy and make myself miserable trying to avoid some relatively minor negative outcome, then the medcine is worse than the disease.

        But my main type of overthinking isn’t really anxiety related, it’s just not thinking clearly about what I’m interested in exploring (adhd related, probs). And journalling has been great for that, I don’t worry about getting it right or it even making sense, I just start writing about an idea. And even if I repeat or contradict myself it doesn’t matter, I’m not writing a book or blog, this is just for me. And having to slow down my thinking to writing speed, and consider what I’m saying, helps me actually pursue a train of thought rather than just thinking chaotically about a topic.

      • ocean@lemmy.selfhostcat.com
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        2 days ago

        The biggest thing that freed me to journal better is to cut all the bs rules I forced on myself. My only standard is to include the date everyday I write and try to add highlights to reflect on the day. Everything else is just random stream of consciousness tasks, thoughts, whatever. I also have a ton of random thoughts and I think that helps.

        I tried keeping separate journals like you said but that’s too much form for me. Just throwing everything at one is best for me or I just won’t do it.

        The best tip I have for organizing life is to keep a stupid easy non streak based habit tracker and a tasks list.

  • mongooseofrevenge@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    I’ve been journaling for the past few years and, like a lot of people will say, it’s not the magic bullet people want it to be. But it is a great tool for sorting thoughts, tracking events, and just a general brain dump. But we all slip every now and again but I will say my experience lines up with yours. I feel that journaling has helped to keep things in my life in control because it forces me to A) keep tabs on myself and B) keep track of the things going on around me.

    Another thing is that there is some scientific research that shows writing by hand is better for journaling and memory. I think that by going back to the app after writing so much didn’t help your case. Part of the problem with digital journaling is that distractions are just a button press away. When I sit down to write at the end of the day: my computer is off, my phone is on the desk or charging, and it’s usually quiet or some music on. Being a daily ritual helps keep the train on track. If I dont get to it on the evening then it’s usually the first thing I do in the morning. Routine helps a lot.

    Lastly, the tools you choose make a difference. There are a lot of journaling systems out there aside from a notebook/diary. The pens you use should be ones you enjoy using. I’m a fountain pen person and will use a different pen each day and can rotate pens and ink to suit what i feel like using. You could color coordinate entries depending on the mood, emotion, or day. There is a lot out there to make your journal unique instead of black ink in a notebook.

    Lastly I will say sometimes life just gets too hectic. You can get so busy, tired, or burned out that you just default to survival mode. For me its ultimately a matter of discipline/ roitine to stay on track and keep up with it as much as possible.

  • quediuspayu@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    I wrote journals for years, they help a little. I used them to vent, to discuss with myself about stuff I couldn’t discuss with someone else, put thoughts in order, practice calligraphy (people now praise my handwriting), etc. I never took it as a chore, so when I didn’t feel like it I didn’t write.

    I went to cognitive behavioural therapy and that not only helped the most, it gave me tools to get out of the hole when I fall into it.

    Also helped to stop pretending anything on a screen is social interaction. I ditched every social platform except reddit and now lemmy, these two, because I don’t know anyone feel different

    • Uncurable Utopia @lemm.eeOP
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      2 days ago

      To be honest, I did kinda tried to match my symptoms to the symptoms of ADHD. But not through a professional source or person. You know, there are a handful of 2-3 people on insta who talk about mental health. I don’t question their knowledge, authority or authenticity but according to them( as they explained some symptoms of ADHD), my overall psychological function and its effects on my physiological state heavily match to the symptoms of ADHD and its after-effect.

      Another problem I’ve been facing for around 2 years is that, I get emotionally dissociative when I’m in a critical life crisis. For example, I didn’t took my registration card to one of the most important exams in my life. There was another girl who also made the same mistake and literally fainted on the road out of fear and anxiety.

      Whereas I, standing near her, didn’t even faze or worry. Somehow I couldn’t care if the authority would let me attend the exam. But the authority actually let me attend.

      • noname_yet2077@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        Feel ya. Getting emotionally dissociated from my loved one after some silly arguing really sucks balls man. Shit scares me like all my love and emotional attachment are gone in a snap

  • Berttheduck@lemmy.ml
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    2 days ago

    I’ve been journaling for a few years, starting with a Mind Journal in COVID which I found really useful. It’s built to ease you into it, get you reflecting more and introspecting as well as build the habit by making it as easy as possible to note something down each day.

    I don’t use their products any more as they are quite expensive but I’d definitely recommend looking into them for trying to turn journaling into a habit. I do use the system though which is for each day you note your feelings, 3 (or more) achievements which can be anything from got up and showered to got a promotion, 3 (or more) things your grateful for and a happy hour where you have or plan to do something good for yourself.

    This is a really useful prompt I find because those bits only take a few minutes and are a great way to track things over time. For example looking back at my COVID journal I can spot when I started getting burned out by having feeling: tired every day for several months. Noting down what you’re grateful for is also proven to help your mood, basically you start looking for positive things more and it’s a happy feedback loop.

    Once I’ve done those bits I write stream of consciousness style, anything that’s playing on my mind, details of my day, stuff I hope might or might not happen, things that made me angry. For me it’s a really useful medicine practice which has definitely helped keep my mental health more stable over the years.

    I like having a nice book and pen to write in too, I’m looking forward to finishing this journal so I can upgrade the book to something more fancy, maybe going leather bound next time.

    My main advice would be to stick with it, habits take a good 3 months or so to bed in. The mind journal is good for this as it makes it really easy to journal something and gradually builds you up to more free form writing.

    Good luck with your journalling I hope you find something which works for you. There are loads of methods out there from billet journaling which helps like a load of work to me but looks amazing like an art project, to the VOMIT method to just get your thoughts onto the page. Keep at it, try to find what works for you and build the habit, but don’t stress if you miss a day or two.

    • Uncurable Utopia @lemm.eeOP
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      2 days ago

      Noted. ✍️ .

      I used an app called “My Diary”. While I don’t particularly seek customization and colorful theme in the way, upon testing multiple diary app, this one caught my attention. Maybe because of its simplicity.

      The last time I wrote an entry in this app was in 2nd February. The developing matter is that, from last week, I’ve started to write entries again but in a different note-taking app. I skipped the last 2 days but after getting responses from you guys, I think I CAN continue…

      Thank you for sharing your experiences in details.🤝