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This past summer was rough.
If I’m being honest, summers have never been my best season. Year after year, it feels like my luck runs low, and while there are always highs, the lows sink deeper. This summer might have been the hardest yet.
I won’t get into the details, but I do want to share what helped me get through it: journaling.
A Routine I Didn’t Expect to Keep
I started journaling with two prompt journals, one that lasted half a year, and another designed for a full year. Now that the first has been filled, I’m continuing with my year-long journal (← this one), and I can’t imagine my days without it.
Every morning or evening, I sit down and write. Sometimes it’s an emotional outpour, and other times it’s just answering a small, silly question. Both matter. Both have helped me.
When Talking Felt Too Heavy
Part of what made journaling essential was how hard it was to keep talking about my struggles out loud.
My friends knew I was going through it. They knew how unlucky things had been. But I got tired of showing up with more bad news. I didn’t want to weigh people down.
My journal didn’t care. It didn’t get tired of listening. And in writing things out, I found clarity. The pages gave me perspective when I felt overwhelmed, and they reminded me that even on bad days, I was still moving forward.
The Surprising Joy of Prompts
Another thing I’ve come to love is the variety. Journals with prompts don’t always ask for deep reflection. Sometimes, they’re lighthearted questions that make you think differently about your day.
Even when I didn’t feel like venting, answering a small prompt helped me pause, reflect, and reset. That balance, between the heavy and the light, is why I stuck with it.
The Sentimental Value
Looking back through my journals now, I can see exactly what I was thinking and feeling every day of the year. It’s like having a personal time capsule.
And for someone who once thought journaling was pointless, that’s the biggest surprise of all.
I’ve been converted. This habit, which I never believed I’d stick with, has become a tool I can’t imagine letting go of.
Final Thoughts
This summer tested me.
But journaling gave me a place to let it all out, without judgment, without pressure, without worrying about being “too much.” It reminded me that even in my lowest seasons, I could still ground myself in something steady.
And now, as I move into the rest of the year, I know I’ll have every page as proof, not just of what hurt, but of how I kept going.
Because that’s what journaling really is: a record that you survived.