A personal diary is a good tool for psychological self-help in a variety of life situations. It is a kind of mirror in which current events are reflected. Using notes, a person helps himself in an unobtrusive way to adjust his psychological state, thoughts, emotions and feelings.
What does record keeping give?
The question of how to keep a diary is relevant for romantic natures and for those who would like to cope with life's difficulties. The pages of the diary reflect the most subtle movements of the soul, feelings, thoughts. It is a recorded life story. At the same time, it displays both external circumstances and the events of inner life. It allows a person to establish a strong connection with his life values, to discover deep resources. Keeping a diary, a person can be truly sincere, because he remains alone with himself.
Psychotherapeutic effect
Since keeping a personal diary is an idea that often comes in a difficult life situation, it can be called a kind of psychotherapeutic tool. We are constantly entangled in difficulties and problems, plunged into life crises, for a long time we get stuck in the difficulties of the past or soar in the clouds of the future. What can a diary do for us in a similar situation?
When a person takes notes, he opens the door to what usually remains hidden. The idea that appeared on paper is not equivalent to the thought that originated in the head. The same thing is with emotions, feelings. When they find themselves expressed in the form of words, they become less tense. Chaos is becoming more transparent.
Where to begin?
How to keep a personal diary, where to start? When a person starts keeping a diary, he as if marks a certain point in his living space, separates the past from the future. You can start the diary with the wording of the main idea, goal, which is currently relevant. For example: “I want to get rid of depression”, “Find a new meaning of being”, “It is better to understand your emotions.”
There may be several such goals. Therefore, you can write them all, although formulating them in the right way is not always easy. In this case, you can simply write: "My goal in keeping a diary is self-help, creating the conditions for a more pleasant and comfortable life." Then it will be possible to come up with a more specific goal. Psychologists recommend keeping a diary with the help of material carriers - notebooks and pens. Computer records are not so effective for working with feelings and thoughts. However, this is a personal choice for everyone.
Two methods
Since you can keep a diary mainly in two ways, we turn to a detailed description of these methods. These are linear and non-linear records.
The linear method refers to the compilation of daily records of events in the external world and inner experiences. The linear method is a kind of chronicle of life events. This method is quite effective and interesting, although it has drawbacks. For example, after some time, many of those who keep a diary begin to repeat in their thoughts and experiences, duplicate the same ideas. Although one of the main goals of such an activity is the transformation of living space. When recording using the linear method, this task is lost.
Since keeping a diary in a non-linear way, according to psychologists, is most effective for personal development, this method is recommended in difficult life situations. Its author is a psychotherapist from the USA Ira Progoff. He was a student of Jung. Progoff is convinced that the non-linearity of the records can increase their effectiveness in relation to psychological self-help.
Nonlinear way
What does the “non-linearity” of records look like? The diary should consist of several sections. At the same time, each of them should be able to insert new sheets - for example, using a block notebook. Life events should be grouped by so-called dimensions. Progoff believed that there could be about four or five.
- The current events. What is happening today is recorded, as well as the person’s attitude to these events.
- Relations with people, dialogs. This section may contain information for rethinking relationships with loved ones. For example: “Dialogue with a friend”, “Dialogue with a child”, “My thoughts”, etc.
- Life symbols. Here you can record everything that influenced the personality itself - books, movies, songs, dreams, dreams.
- The world around. One can express an attitude to various events that are far removed from the person himself. For example, to political or economic news.
Keeping a non-linear diary allows you to make notes and drawings.
Mix beeches
Another option for those who do not know how to keep a diary. A sample beech mix is presented below. A funny book is a special thematic notebook that stores a variety of memorabilia, articles, photographs and tickets. In a word, you can put there everything that is sweet to the heart and requires documentation so as not to forget. A funny book is a prime example of how girls keep a diary. This method allows you to capture memories of a pleasant date, interesting life hacks for beauty, quotes and notes.
A mix book may contain:
- commemorative gizmos;
- clippings from newspapers or magazines;
- printouts - interesting quotes, phrases, pictures.
The most popular materials for conducting a mixed book:
- colored pencils, felt-tip pens, markers (it is important that they do not leave marks on the back);
- pieces or pieces of paper;
- paper clips and clamps;
- all kinds of laces, ribbons, braid.
Travel Book: Travel Book
This is a great way to preserve your trip memories. How is it different from a regular travel album? First of all, a travel book is a book, not a photo album. This is a kind of travel journal in which you can write down thoughts and impressions. It may not have pictures or photos. However, most often they are added to the story in such a way that a fascinating story is provided, provided with illustrations.
Graphic diary
How to keep a diary of such a plan? It is a collection of diverse images collected under one cover. Almost always, the contents of such an album are united by a common theme. This may be the work of any genre of art or a particular artist, photographer. Recently, the popularity of such albums is growing. People create diaries that are dedicated to a certain direction of art - for example, cinema or anime.
How to make notes?
The most important rule is to make notes as you wish. Here we give some general recommendations. These items will be of interest to both adults and children. Indeed, the question often arises of how girls keep a personal diary. Creating such a magazine for a young lady is as crucial a step as keeping a diary for adults. Therefore, they can also look at the following rules.
- Purchase a notebook, diary, notepad or start an electronic page. If this is paper, you should like it - let it have beautiful pages, a colorful cover.
- Fill in the cover page with information about yourself. Indicate the name and surname, age, zodiac sign, main hobbies or hobbies. This is one of the most standard profiles, it can be supplemented with your own points.
- In a notebook, it is desirable to make fields on which especially important notes can be made. So it will be easier to find them.
- At the beginning of the diary, it is advisable to write a request to those who accidentally can find it: “Please do not read this diary!”
- It is also important to use different colors. For example, in red highlight the most important, in italics - quotes.
- On separate pages you can write plans and goals.
How to keep a gratitude diary? Basic Rules
Gratitude notes are one of the best ways to draw a lot of desired events into your life. To create such a diary, you need to purchase a beautiful notebook in which all those things that brought joy during the day will be recorded. Even if the day turned out to be terrible, still something good should be found in it. For example, a beautiful bouquet of flowers in the hands of a random passerby, the rays of sunset, the smile of the seller in the store. You can even thank for the difficulties - because, in fact, they are the lessons that life kindly presents to us.
A method of maintaining readership for students
This type of notes is necessary so that the knowledge gained by the student is not lost. In it you can easily and quickly find information about books read, their main characters. You can create a diary according to the following rules.
- The first step is design. On the title page you can write the name - "Reader's diary." How to record with maximum comfort? It’s best to buy a squared notebook for them. Also, do not forget about the cover - so the diary will always be in order. Anyone who keeps an electronic diary can create it in the form of an Excel spreadsheet, where the necessary items will be presented in columns.
- The next page should contain the content. It will be filled as you read books.
- The following are the entries. The title of the work, F. I. O. of the author is fixed, you can also put his biography and photo.
- List the main characters.
- Outline the plot.
- Describe the episode from the book that you liked the most. Since keeping a reader’s diary means registering the events described in the book and your impression of them, the student can include his own attitude to this episode in the recording.
- In conclusion, you can specify additional information.
- Filling out the diary is best on the day the book was read.
A personal diary can be called a window into the soul of a person. Records are like an understanding and trusting friend. By keeping a diary, one can give vent to feelings hidden from prying eyes.