For many of us, a work diary is a practical thing. We use them for work to make a note of appointments or meetings, scribbling words next to dates to remind us of something we have to do in the future. But journalling is more about feelings. It’s a personal diary, often kept far from prying eyes, sometimes detailing our secrets and desires. But, when it comes to feelings, what are the benefits to writing things down?

对于我们许多人来说，工作日记是一件实用的事情。我们在工作中使用它们来记录约会或会议，在日期旁边涂写文字以提醒我们将来必须做的事情。但是写日记更多的是关于感受。这是一本个人日记，通常不会被窥探，有时会详细说明我们的秘密和欲望。但是，说到感情，写下来有什么好处呢？

Sometimes it can be difficult to say exactly what we’re feeling. Because of anxiety or frustration, it can be tricky to put your problems into words. For some of us, putting pen to paper and jotting down our thoughts is a much easier process than saying them. But it’s not just about the ease of scrawling words. Writing things down can actually help us to formulate ideas, consolidate emotions, and understand our feelings. There’s something cathartic about making sense of something that is stressing us, annoying us, or getting us down. Writing a narrative of events or a series of words about what is on your mind can help you to focus, and is comparable to a form of meditation. And journalling isn’t just limited to words. Why not include squiggles, doodles or pictures of what’s happening in your life? Maybe the thing that is annoying you most could be best summed up by a caricature. In short, journalling is good for your mental health.

有时很难准确地说出我们的感受。由于焦虑或沮丧，很难用语言表达您的问题。对于我们中的一些人来说，用笔在纸上记下我们的想法比说出来要容易得多。但这不仅仅与潦草的文字有关。把事情写下来实际上可以帮助我们形成想法、巩固情绪和理解我们的感受。理解让我们感到压力、烦扰或沮丧的事情是一种宣泄。写下事件的叙述或一系列关于您的想法的文字可以帮助您集中注意力，并且类似于一种冥想形式。日记不仅限于文字。为什么不包括你生活中发生的事情的曲线、涂鸦或图片？也许最让你烦恼的事情可以用漫画来概括。简而言之，写日记对您的心理健康有益。

Another thing to consider is that our memories fade over time. What is clear in our minds today may just be forgotten a few years down the line. Logging what’s happening in our lives could trigger memories when we read our diary entries back in years to come, or could act as an insight into our past selves. We can see our development, or be reminded of exciting flashpoints in our lives. The person who was annoying us and you drew a doodle of five years ago may now be a close friend, or something that you were once scared of may now seem funny.

另一件需要考虑的事情是我们的记忆会随着时间的推移而消失。今天在我们脑海中清晰的东西可能在几年后就会被遗忘。记录我们生活中发生的事情可能会在我们阅读未来几年的日记条目时触发记忆，或者可以作为对过去自我的洞察力。我们可以看到我们的发展，或者被提醒我们生活中令人兴奋的闪光点。五年前惹恼我们而你画了一张涂鸦的人现在可能是一个亲密的朋友，或者你曾经害怕的东西现在可能看起来很有趣。

So, if you have something on your mind, it might be good to get things written down. And if something exciting happens, writing about it may help you to remember that wonderful time!

所以，如果你有什么想法，最好把事情写下来。如果发生了令人兴奋的事情，将其写下来可能会帮助您记住那段美好的时光！

词汇表

work diary 工作日志，工作日程簿
make a note 记下
scribble 匆匆写下
personal diary 私人日记
prying eyes 窥探，窥视
detail 详细描述
write something down 写下
put (something) into words 用文字表达
put pen to paper 动笔，开始写
jot down 草草记下
scrawl 潦草地写
formulate 确切表达，构想
consolidate 巩固，加强
cathartic 释放情绪的
squiggle （写或画的）弯弯扭扭的线条，点点画画
doodle 随手涂画
caricature 漫画，讽刺画
log 记录
trigger 触发
insight 深刻见解
flashpoint 亮点，令人振奋的片段