DEAR DIARY DAY | SEPTEMBER 22
Dear Diary, on September 22nd each year, we celebrate the way you help us document our lives. On Dear Diary Day write an extra entry. For those who don’t keep a diary, consider starting one.
#DearDiaryDay
Also known as journaling, studies have shown expressing our thoughts in a written form every day reduces anxiety and stress. It also broadens our vocabulary and language skills.
By writing our stressors out on paper or tapping them out on the computer, we organize our thoughts and develop tools for dealing with our everyday struggles. Through long-term journaling and diary-keeping, we focus our energy on resolving issues and achieving goals. Over time, a diary can offer many rewards including memories. We can see our successes and learn from our mistakes.
But diaries aren’t just for reducing stress. They offer us a glimpse into how we change and remind us of events long forgotten. Diaries also offer a reference for future generations. While many may think of diaries as a place to keep precious secrets, they also provide a look at how life has changed from one generation to another. They serve as a reminder of ways long forgotten, words no longer in use, or attitudes that were once acceptable.
HOW TO OBSERVE DEAR DIARY DAY
Write a special entry in your diary and take a look back. See how your diary has progressed. If you have one, consider starting one. Explore published diaries of notable people. Share your favorite entry and use #DearDiaryDay to post on social media.
DEAR DIARY DAY HISTORY
Thomas and Ruth Roy at Wellcat.com created Dear Diary Day.
Diary FAQ
Q. What types of diaries do people keep?
A. There are a variety of diaries people keep. Many people keep weather diaries, tracking weather changes from year to year. These diaries are usually specific to the person’s location – their home. A similar diary is a garden diary. In this type of diary, people record the plants they grow. They will track when they plant, when a species blooms, insects observed, when they fertilize, harvest, and how plants react to various types of weather.
People also keep food, work, maternity, travel, idea, dream, fitness, art, and writing diaries.
Q. When keeping a diary, is it important to write every day?
A. Depending on the type of diary you are keeping, sometimes it is important to write in it every day. Some diaries are used to track changes in health or reactions to food. Writing everything you eat in this type of diary and your body’s response to it helps you and your physician to determine if something is causing allergies or other negative reactions.
Writing in a travel diary may only occur when traveling to new places and meeting new people. Those who keep dream diaries will usually only write when they have a dream.