Stories of Journal Writers
One of the best things about journal writing is that it provides a safe place to "vent" all kinds of feelings. Sometimes getting the ink out of your pen and getting the worries off your chest can make you feel like a new person. These PARC readers talk about how getting their thoughts down on paper has helped to lift their mood:
Stan: To be honest, I really didn't do much writing at all after I retired. I used to do a lot of writing when I worked as a police officer. I had forgotten how writing reports used to help me think clearly. Now that I've started keeping a journal, writing is helping me to think things through again. It's a great feeling to be able to do that.
Lucia: Sometimes when I'm having a tough day, I use my notebook to jot down everything I can think of that's good about my life. It doesn't take long before I realize how much I have to be thankful for. I also try to write down my favorite memories in my notebook. It helps me to hang on to them.
Mark: My wife, Clara, has Alzheimer's disease. Sometimes I get so frustrated and angry at how difficult her illness is for both of us. I call my journal "my portable therapist" because I can carry it around and talk to it all day long! I think that I'm coping better at home because writing about my sadness helps me to deal with it.
