Q&A for How to Keep a Diary or Journal (for Teenagers)

Until we can understand our behavior and emotional responses, and from whence they came, we cannot begin to change our lives in ways that promote greater peace and happiness. People who journal daily, or when needed, find it greatly improves their quality of life. Dedicated quiet time promotes focus and insight. The linear words on the page untangle the spin of intersecting thoughts in our heads. Languaging feelings by putting them in words can: inform decisions; identify key questions in planning next steps; clarify priorities; assure that we can dream bigger dreams.

Yes, you can write about anything you like in your diary. Writing about your problems can help you process them and relieve some of the negative emotions.

Try finding a quiet place to write. The school library is a good place, or you can ask a teacher if you could quietly work in their room.

If you want to hide the identity of person you're writing about, this is very good and useful way to do it. As long as you can create good fake name that you'll remember and will hide the real name well.

Make sure you include poems, drawings, movie and concert tickets, photographs, stickers, etc. Write about the most interesting part of your day, or be imaginative and make something up!

It is really up to you and how you would like to keep your thoughts. Traditionally, diaries are written in paragraphs but you can still do what you like best.

Maybe write down how you cope with daily challenges. You may need the advice in the future, and then you'll already have it.

A diary is for writing down what you want to write when you want to write it. Don't worry about doodling in it instead of writing. Your doodles could mean something, and if not, you can just turn it into a sketchbook.

Glue something over it. Take pictures you like, pieces of fabric or embellishments, photos, or drawings. Or you can alternatively cover it with stickers or colorful craft tape, such as Duct Tape or Washi Tape.

You can make one! Take 20-25 pages and hold them together. Apply glue to one edge to make the spine. Next, glue on some more paper or card stock (thick paper) as the spine cover to make a cover. Decorate to your preference and voilà!

You can use stickers, tape, pictures, cut outs from magazines, anything! Get creative!

You should never put your address in your diary because, if someone that doesn't like you or something finds it, they can go to your house and cause trouble.

There are some good tips in the wikiHow articles Hide Your Diary and Hide Your Diary from Siblings .

Draw pictures and illustrate your day! If you mean you don't like the physical act of writing, keep a virtual diary on your computer, phone, etc.

There are a variety of stores, depending on how fancy you would like your book to be. Composition and spiral-bound notebooks can be found for a cheap price at Wal-Mart, Target, or any office supply store. Leather-bound books and Moleskine notebooks can be found at arts and crafts stores. The internet is also good if you want to get a more personalized book.

Use Washi tape to decorate it. You can also use decorative stickers.

Hide it in your pillow, under the mattress or keep it in the socks/underwear part of your dresser.

Just dedicate 5 minutes before you go to bed to writing.

Yes, you should get a new one. You can put the old one in a draw with a lock on it, on a bookshelf with (or behind) your other books, or hide it somewhere in your closet. It just depends on how "private" the stuff you've written inside is.

Yes, you can write about anything. However if you are experiencing an eating disorder, you should also talk to a trusted adult (even if it is through writing) to get help.

Make a reminder on your phone to write in it every day. If that isn't an available option for you, use a dry erase marker and write the reminder on someplace you'll see it regularly. Like a bathroom mirror.

Of course! Many teens like to scribble down song lyrics in a journal -- especially when that song is a favorite! You can even write your own song lyrics if you want.

Depends on how many pages you think is too many. I think it would be cool!

If you lose your diary, try to remember where you left it last. Look there, and then if you still can't find it, then you can go on to find out the possible suspects who might wantto steal it. If they won't give it back, you can contact someone who might help you get it back, or you can buy or make a new diary.

Yes, it is, but you need dedication and time to write in each of them.

If you can't write, draw! If you can't draw, maybe just let the words flow naturally!

If you have your own room, put it under your bed or with your school stuff. You could hide it in your underwear. Think of places where your siblings never go.

You can make a "journal" by folding some sheets of paper in half and stapling them together, or ask for one for a holiday gift.

Don't try to imitate someone else when writing in your diary (especially not someone who wrote arguably the most famous diary of all time!). It should be all about you. If you try to be someone else, you'll be setting yourself up for failure. Write in whatever way comes most naturally.

If in the said book you have a decent amount of pages around 10-15 entries worth, you should be good for a while. So yes, you can use that and it might be helpful for keeping the diary secret too! Just rule off the old stuff and start afresh on a new page, dating each entry as you go.