Everyone is an author with a never-ending series of stories. Sometimes the stories are never expressed, and instead are hidden from the world and buried within one’s heart. However, there are ways to express these stories while still keeping them hidden: writing. Personal, expressive writing is a simple yet powerful self-care tool that is freely available to all of us. Writing promotes healing, stress reduction, personal growth, and inner peace. 

“I learned at a young age that I could read if I wanted to escape the world, and I could write if I wanted to understand the world in which I lived. And this dual source of comfort really got me through everything, small problems, and large ones,” said best-selling author Ann Hood.

To benefit from the healing power of writing, you don’t have to be able to write as masterfully as a New York Times best-selling author. A personal journal can be a lifesaver, where the blank page can turn into a safe place for you to write authentically and share your truths. Your personal journal is similar to having a therapist available to you 24/7 and free of charge but within the boundaries of your own mind and not anybody else’s. 

“Most of us think of writing as something formal, something that is done only when we apply a certain number of rules and regulations, and something that should bring about very concrete results: a book, a poem, a piece of research. But here we’re talking about writing that will connect you with nothing other than yourself, something that you do in order to come closer to who you really are,” said Nicoletta Demetriou, an ethnomusicologist and tutor in creative writing. 

Self-compassion is one of the superpowers that writing can lead one to discover along with gratitude. Focusing on gratitude throughout a journal is as easy as writing five things you are grateful for at the end of your day. As authors of our own stories, we tend to be harsh storytellers and dwell on the negative, such as the mistakes we’ve made, the shattered dreams, and the opportunities that we’ve missed. By self-assessing through journaling, it allows our truths to seem simpler and our inner peace to be reached. 

“So if you would really like to look deeper both within yourselves and within other people, if you would really like to get to know what your own voice sounds like, if you would really like to get to know what it is that you truly want to do in life, then give writing a chance. Write simply with the curiosity to see what will happen and with the conviction that something will happen,” said Demetriou. 

A couple of celebrities, such as actress Emma Watson, see journaling as a safe space. The idea of journals has always intrigued Watson, to such an extent that she keeps at least 10 diaries, all based on her hobbies along with the people she’s met and the advice they’ve given her. According to Watson, journaling became a safe environment for her to explore her creative side. Like self-reflection, journaling fascinates us through the gradual unfolding and slow speed of our thoughts as we continue on with our lives. When Watson experiences a negative emotion, she meditates and writes in a journal. 

“I think your thoughts are so much less frightening when they’re tangible when you can see them on a page in front of you,” says Watson. 

Additionally, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, another well-known actor, has gone through many phases of journaling for self-reflection when he faced many obstacles in his transition from an actor to a director. Gordon-Levitt valued self-reflection even as a child. Introspection, growth, and evolution are dependent on evolution; he works off of those qualities and thus doesn’t ever question his worth. 

“I’ve gone through different phases in my life of writing in a journal more or less frequently, but it’s something I turn to, especially when I’m trying to work through something that’s vexing me,” said Gordon-Levitt. 

One does not get over grief; one gets through it. The journal is there to listen to your stories,  page after page and journal after journal. Until one day, you are able to let go of your stories full of past hurts, turn to the next page, and write a new story for yourself. 

When life becomes extremely difficult, sometimes we begin to pity ourselves and wonder why life is so unfair. This might even hold us back from stepping into our true potential. I say this with full experience. Throughout my years of maturing, life has brought me a bundle of surprises, but let me say that they are not all good surprises. Through toxic relationships and both academic and personal failures, it was difficult for me to acknowledge my own personal worth. For one, I would make certain decisions based on other people’s perceptions of me. As a matter of fact, I am still recovering from that innate fear of not being good enough for others, and I happen to be recovering through writing. When I open my journal to write down my daily stories, I am able to remind myself of who I am and how much I am truly worth. When reading my past stories a bit into the future, it is evident to me that–like everyone else in our world–I am special in my own way. 

It took me a while to realize that stepping into the role of an author gives people like me the privilege to be the hero of our own story. Writing has the power of reflecting both the good and bad moments of our lives, as well as the obstacles that have yet to be overcome. Adversity is embedded throughout our stories, and are pivotal turning points that shape the arc of our lives. Through this process of writing, we are able to start a conversation with our own hearts and minds, assuring ourselves that we are right where we need to be.

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