Why Do I Involve Myself in Journaling?

Things just went so different when I decided to study outside my home city, Yogyakarta. It was all about solitude. It was always felt bad for me until I joined a journaling workshop somewhere around Semarang Old City one day on December 2017.

That year has been a roller coaster for me. Applying for university, got accepted, moved to another city, did loads and loads of task of my major — which I wasn’t interested in. I couldn’t manage my emotion and feelings when I was there. I found it kinda hard to adapt to the new ‘life’. I hardly expressed everything I’ve felt. All that I was able to do that time was crying in the night when I got to sleep and in the morning when I woke up. I felt so much burden I was carrying. My shoulders and hands hurt, my heart broke, my eyes were tired.

To stop this, once, I began doing brush lettering again and making flowers using watercolor. Short I enjoyed it, but it wasn’t enough, I got bored easily.

Three and a half months have passed, final exams were over and I was waiting for the day to come back home. While waiting I decided to join a journaling workshop. I asked my high school friend, Nide, who was also studying at the same university to accompany me attend the workshop. To go to the venue from Tembalang, which is my area, needed more or less 45 minutes motorcycle ride.

It was a really sunny day for Semarang, haha. Semarang residents must’ve known just how humid the city is.

At first, I was super nervous and insecure because it was my first time hanging out with strangers in a new city. It turned out so fun because I discovered a new thing that I enjoy doing. To be honest I didn’t make friends with anyone there because I was too focused on what I was making, a journaling notebook.

I had never been so happy that time. I could give smiles to the world on my way back home. I feel like journaling saved me from everything that burdens myself. I write but also I create. It’s not just about pouring what you’re feeling on a paper with a pen. It’s beyond that.

From journaling, I learn about patience. The process it needed always push me to be creative but in a better way not in a haste.

I am kind of a perfectionist so I’ll look at every details that matter to me. Even the smallest like a stain. I’m also the type of person who need full of energy and a good mood to start journaling. Even so, I still write things daily — or weekly in my small logbook.

Journaling is like putting down your emotion, either it’s an anger or a happiness, to a book but packed beautifully. Even though it is full of anger, it’s beautiful in our own way because thru journaling we try our best to admit and acknowledge our feelings.

The other motives/reasons I involve myself in ‘journaling world’ are because:

1. It’s cheap and it’s simple. The definition of simple indeed belong to everyone’s taste and style.
2. It always makes me happy after finishing one even when I just had a really bad day.
3. It’s beneficial to my mental health WHEN I don’t feel like anybody can help me or hear me nitpicking.
4. Journaling brought myself an opportunity to make my own little shop. I thank the myself-back-in-2017 for joining the workshop. Now I can earn and save some money from it :D
5. I want to influence more people to do this kind of activity because of those 1–4 reasons above.

Recently, in August-November 2020 I was luckily chosen as a speaker in a journaling workshop held by Penagama UGM, a webinar held by cicil.co.id, and a live instagram about journaling for mental health hosted by Layak Bahagia. It’s true that, “every cloud has a silver lining”! :)

End of the article, I want to share some research about journaling. Here they are!

Labeling emotions and acknowledging traumatic events — both natural outcomes of journaling — have a known positive effect on people, Dr. Pennebaker said. This in turn improves our immune system and our moods; we go to work feeling refreshed, perform better and socialize more. “There’s no single magic moment,” Dr. Pennebaker said. “But we know it works.”

Yap! It’s so true that journaling gets me labeling my emotions and admitting traumatic events. Ok, next article..

Expressive writing is known to help assuage psychological trauma and improve mood. Now studies suggest that such writing, characterized by descriptions of one’s deepest thoughts and feelings, also benefits physical health.

Click the sentences above to read the full article about the research.

You’re welcome, stay happy and healthy, kudos to journaling!

If you want to see my journaling pages, you can take a small tour through my Instagram (at)jurnal.dhanty :D