Whether you’re shy or bold, everyone can feel a bit lost at times and begin feeling like they aren’t themselves. This can be due to life moving too fast or things simply not going as planned, and all of these things can make for a very stressful and upsetting time.

By journalling each day, however, you can begin feeling more grounded. The process of journalling in itself is very relaxing, and the process of reflecting back on recent events can help you begin seeing things differently. Most important of all, though, keeping a journal that is honest and uncensored can help you begin to find your true self and your inner voice. If you’re shy, it can really begin bringing you out of your shell. And, even if you aren’t shy, it can certainly help you begin getting more in touch with your emotions by having you write about things that you might find deeply upsetting or even embarrassing.

Journalling can be a super positive and fun activity, but some days, you might feel like writing about something that’s making you feel down. In truth, there are multiple ways to approach journaling, but no matter how you look at it, if you’re finding prompts that make you write about your thoughts and feelings, it will help you begin to grow as an individual. It can increase your positivity, self-love, self-esteem, and self-confidence all at once while also turning you into a more positive person.

It does this by bringing out the truest form of yourself. It might take you a few entries to get the hang of it, but once you realize that you aren’t putting on a show for anyone, you will become very open and honest with yourself while you journal. You might find yourself writing about things you never wanted to think about before, and then you might find yourself reflecting on previous entries with an entirely new outlook on life.

The great thing about journals is that they don’t need to follow any sort of pattern or theme. Today, you might just want to write about a lighthearted situation you recently found yourself in. Tomorrow, you might feel like making up a completely alternate version of your day to overcome a spout of boredom. The next, you might be looking back on a tough event that happened to you a long time ago.

When it comes to journaling, you can write about whatever you want to–that’s the whole point! As you sit down to journal each day, it’s entirely up to you what you write about as long as you’re honest. At the end of it all, you’ll be able to look back and, most likely, see how much you’ve changed and how much more positive and confident you are. You might even look back and feel silly for once being embarrassed or too shy to do something that you now do quite often.

If used correctly, journaling can help you begin breaking out of your shell and finding your voice.