10/08/2025

ON SUNDAY August 10, 2025 X theSunday Special

T HE world keeps moving and we are now living in the future, where everything is digitised and we hardly carry anything with us anymore because ev erything we own is stored somewhere in the cloud. We might not know exactly the location of this cloud, but we are con vinced that it is somewhere out there in the digital space and we have been told that it is a safe place. Despite our current lifestyle, where we no longer need to carry cash or buy magazines for celebrity gossip and even our grocery lists are on a smartphone app, there’s a sense of comfort in putting our thoughts onto paper. Just picking up a pen and writing about our day in a journal is a ZKROH GL̆ HUHQW H[SHULHQFH LQFRPSDUDEOH to scrolling through social media or killing zombies on our Nintendo Switch. Journaling is not back being trendy because it never really left. However, WKH FRPPXQLW\ KDV JURZQ VLJQL¿FDQWO\ thanks to the proliferation of journaling content on social media and recent re VHDUFK ¿QGLQJV VXJJHVWLQJ WKDW MRXUQDOLQJ can help reduce anxiety and improve emotional regulation. Psychologists even suggest journaling at least three times a week to help boost mental clarity, manage stress and improve overall well-being.

Dear diary, turns out you were therapy

Psychologists suggest journaling at least three times a week to help boost mental clarity, manage stress and improve overall well-being.”

Journaling still wins in a swipe-right world

BY HANNEF ESQUANDER

T KHUH DUH D IHZ GL̆ HUHQW W\SHV RI MRXU naling that people turn to for various rea sons. Gratitude journaling, for instance, involves listing things to be thankful for. This simple practice has been shown to improve mood, reduce stress and support RYHUDOO ZHOO EHLQJ 5HÀHFWLYH MRXUQDOLQJ on the other hand, focuses on writing about daily thoughts and experiences, helping individuals process emotions and gain a deeper self-understanding. For those who prefer structure, bullet MRXUQDOLQJ R̆ HUV D FOHDU DQG RUJDQLVHG way to track tasks, habits and goals, making it ideal for boosting productivity. As for mental health journaling, it is often used by people who want to monitor their moods, manage stress or understand emotional triggers. There is also prompted journaling, which uses guided questions and is helpful for personal growth and can be especially useful for beginners or anyone looking to explore their thoughts more intentionally. But journaling is not just about writing daily in a book with a date stamped on top of each page. Art journaling, for instance, is a creative way for people to express thoughts and emotions using both art and words. It often includes drawing, painting, collage or writing in a journal or sketchbook. Some people use it to relax, process their feelings or simply explore

their creativity without rules or pressure. It helps to reduce stress and improve focus. Unlike regular journaling, it is more about visual storytelling and the writing part is optional. Each page becomes a personal and meaningful mix of colours, textures and ideas. As the community grows, its members, RIWHQ UHIHUUHG WR DV µMRXUQDOHUV¶ ¿QG WKHLU ways to make the experience fun and less isolating. Journaling is personal, but it can also be a shared experience. Hence, the rise of journaling events, workshops and gatherings that bring the community together. Jane Lee, a wedding photogra pher, started her journal club earlier this year. Lee loves documenting moments through photographs, but started feeling it was a waste to keep everything digital. That was when she began printing photos and adding them to her journal. Journaling instantly became a creative outlet that feels therapeutic and comforting for her. “I’ve always shared my journaling work shops and meetups online and people would tell me they wished they could join but didn’t know anyone. It made me think, why not set up a meetup on the last Sunday of every month? Many people told me they don’t have time to journal, so this gives them a reason to show up and get at least one page done. No more excuses!” Jane explained.

One for the album … the ‘journalers’