What if someone reads my journal?
I’ve been talking with lots of folks about journaling and you probably won’t be surprised to hear that THIS is the #1 biggest fear people have about journaling:
That someone will read their journal.
Is this you? Are you worried about this? Does this keep you from being completely candid in your writing?
I have the luxury of having all the journal privacy I want - my husband figures he’ll hear about it all eventually, and my teenagers can’t imagine I have anything that interesting to say to make it worth their time reading!
But every time I teach a journaling workshop, someone asks about it.
Here are some suggestions:
Think through why it’s important to keep your journaling private - is it the idea that your ideas are sacred that’s why you don’t want others to read it? Or are you keeping secrets in there that would hurt others if they read it? Are you afraid others will judge you for what you write about them?
Have a candid conversation with your partner/family/whomever you’re afraid might read it. Reassure them that you care about them, and you’re not hiding anything. You just need (and deserve) a safe space to keep your thoughts. Just like everyone else does. Some talking points that may be helpful:
Remember that any one journal entry is a snapshot in time.
Just because you’re upset with someone while you write doesn’t mean that emotion stays for the long haul.
Sometimes we have to write out our feelings to let them go. Or to identify how to move forward.
Or practice what we need to say to someone before a difficult conversation.
Using a journal to work through frustration or disappointments can help preserve and maintain positive relationships with others.
Just because you keep a journal doesn’t mean you won’t talk to them about what’s going on. Sometimes you need to work through things on your own first before bringing the topic up for conversation.
Keep your journal stowed away in a safe space. If it’s not lying around, it won’t be tempting for others to read.
Keep a digital journal - there are lots of apps and programs out there designed to keep your personal journaling secure.
Remember to give others the same amount of privacy you want. Including your children. They need a safe place to work through their thoughts and feelings, too. And to know that they’ll have the privacy they’ll need to do it.
And what about what’ll happen to your journal after your gone? I get this question a lot too!
I think it’ll be a wonderful treasure to leave behind - I am a prolific journaler and can imagine the stack of journals I’ll have when my time is up. I can’t imagine my children or my husband would be that interested in most of what I write. A lot of it is pretty mundane. Or things they’d have heard me tell them.
But it’s my story. And I like to think of it as the record of my life - the challenges I’ve overcome, the lessons I’ve learned, how I’ve grown and loved and found the good no matter what life brought.
Will they like every bit that they read? Likely not?
But they’ll know I’m human. That I have feelings, just like they do. And not every thought I have is helpful, nice, or positive.
But I hope they’ll take in my story overall, and not just fixate on any one snapshot in time.
I can picture each of my kids skimming some volumes, maybe keeping a journal or two that’s meaningful to them, and giving the rest the old heave-ho. And that’s okay.
Because I am writing my journal for me. If they get something out of it later, that’s a bonus.
I may make their job easier and curate a volume for each of them containing the stories and memories and lessons I think they’ll need. Or maybe I’ll just write them each a long letter instead.
Weekly Journal Prompts:
Use these prompts as written or as inspiration to uncover what you need in your life this week.
Where in your life do you value privacy?
How does knowing you have privacy in your journaling impact how you write?
Has anyone ever violated your privacy before? What happened? How did you deal with it?
What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? And how can journaling play a part of this for you?
Who in your life do you wish would have left a journal behind for you?
One Journaling Idea I Love:
Who did I help today? What help was I given?
Keep track of how you gave and what you received - not in a keeping the score kind of way, but rather to open your eyes to the myriad ways we’re all interconnected.
I’ll bet you serve more people than you think, especially if you count all the small things you do - smiles given, doors held open, compliments shared. Every bit counts.
Do you allow yourself to receive as much as you give? Giving and receiving service is a fast track to connection and community.
Where You Can Find Me:
I share journal related content on LinkedIn every day by 8 am Eastern. Visit me there for stories, journaling ideas, and more!
I have a website! Visit me at GoodThingsComeToThoseWhoJournal.com
I’m always reachable by email.
My teenagers are doing their best to avoid me on TikTok…
Interested in Helping Me?
I’m excited to announce that I’m developing a new journaling coaching program to support people in building solid and sustainable journaling practices.
To be sure I have the greatest impact, and help the most people with the right solutions, I’m asking for your help in doing some market research.
My goal is to interview 50 people to be sure I get the best and most comprehensive insight into what they need to be successful with journaling.
My ideal interviewee describes themselves as someone who carries a lot of responsibility and hates asking for help. They set really high expectations for themselves and beat themselves up if they fall short. They are overwhelmed and exhausted when they look at their calendar but have a hard time saying no to anything because they don’t want to let people down. They are the trustworthy go-to person for others who need help and reassurance, yet they wrestle with imposter syndrome.
They ultimately want to find time to take better care of themselves, build confidence and recognize their accomplishments, and feel worthy of living the life they dream, but they haven’t been able to get there on their own yet.
The interview would only take between 15-30 minutes, and I promise, this is NOT a trick into asking people to be my clients. This is just market research, so I make sure my program is exactly what is needed.
So, if this is you, would you mind doing an interview with me? To make it super easy, here’s a link to book a call with me.
Thank you!
Happy Journaling!