Difference Between A Journal And Diary

Learn the difference between the two here.

After the dawn of a relatively new concept of journaling online, the interchangeably used terms (journal and diary) have become mingled as one in people’s minds.

Today, with all society immersed in socializing via social networks, the concept of online journaling is considered a way better solution to jot down memorable events and take notes on the go.

While most fail to hear the sound of the difference between a journal and a diary, the two are in no way identical.

A diary contains content that depicts the moods, feelings, and emotions of its owner at a particular instant of time. According to Walter Scott;

More precisely, a diary is a place where a person writes down and keeps a record of emotions, thoughts, and moments lived.

Thinking of a diary, one often gets a specific image of the 'lock and key diary' one might have received as a gift in their childhood. The lock and key diary memory itself provides an explanatory understanding of the term diary, and that is a document to record personal things.

A journal, on the contrary, is a recorded document of explored ideas that take shape and whose contents are not constrained strictly by the events occurring in the calendar. It means that:

Journals can include anything that a human mind can conceive: be it a memory, doodles, song lyrics, thoughts, ideas, and so on so forth.

To draw a clear line of difference between the two, take, for instance, the 'Fitness and Exercise' niche. If you were to write about this niche in your diary, you’d be jotting down a record of your day’s physical activity. But if you were to jot about the same topic in your journal, you’d be taking notes on how you can do certain yoga poses.

It holds content that showcases particular interests, beliefs, opinions, and philosophies of a person’s life.

Unlike a diary, a journal does not contain immediate thoughts or fleeting emotions. The journal is an open book to explore concepts and themes. For instance, people can get to know how and in what capacity their relationship with the other half is evolving.

An important question that strikes up in people’s minds before understanding the difference between a journal and diary is why write either of them anyway?

The answer is simple; writing either of them helps a person to organize thoughts and feel balanced.

As a student, expressive writing daily spurs a sense of smartness in student’s minds, making them more stable academically.

Writing, whether it is for meditation or for keeping a journal, the crucial aspect is the time you allocate to focus all the attention on yourself for a while.

Focusing the attention on one’s self spurs positivity in a person’s physical and mental health state. It is just as Natalie Goldberg has said;

You can definitely use the two terms interchangeably. However, understanding the difference between a journal and a diary can help you better understand where your writing reflection is heading.

In other words, it can help you in understanding what you want to achieve through your self-reflection practice.

Regardless of the name you use for your habit of jotting down emotions, thoughts, and events, it gives you a sense of mindfulness.

By doing so, you can navigate your emotions and can better understand how these relate to your behaviors.

How do the two terms differ in your perspective? From the two, which one do you like keeping for yourself?

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