How Junk Journaling Became My Most Effective Mental Health Tool
For over two decades, I have navigated the challenging waters of chronic anxiety that first emerged when I was just fourteen years old. Throughout this prolonged journey with mental health struggles, I have maintained detailed diaries, documenting everything from whimsical ideas about inventions to the intrusive thoughts that once prevented me from boarding a bus for three entire months.
The Accumulation of Memories
As someone with deeply sentimental tendencies, I have always held onto physical mementos. This habit has resulted in twenty-six years worth of accumulated scrap paper, photographs, sweet wrappers, and receipts across seven different bedrooms. Typically stored in boxes beneath my bed, I recently decided to transform this collection of ephemera into something meditative and meaningful.
This decision led me to discover junk journaling, an eclectic hobby that involves filling and decorating handmade books or diaries with repurposed everyday items. Marketed as Generation Z's contemporary approach to traditional scrapbooking, this niche activity has experienced a remarkable surge in popularity on social media platforms like TikTok, where it has garnered over 885,000 tagged posts.
The Perfect Low-Commitment Hobby
I have always aspired to be someone with dedicated hobbies, similar to my housemate who attends ice-skating lessons every Saturday and performs with a violin orchestra. However, outside of maintaining a Goodreads account, I have never successfully sustained any recreational activities until discovering junk journaling.
This creative practice has proven ideal for individuals who struggle with commitment, offering a low-effort yet high-reward experience that requires absolutely zero artistic skill. The process is completely free, remarkably easy to implement, and has become my absolute favorite daily routine.
Getting Started with Junk Journaling
My journey began in January when I purchased a simple black diary from WH Smith featuring a sturdy construction and a secure button clasp. My only additional investment was a basic glue stick. The fundamental principle involves filling the pages with literally anything you desire to preserve.
My personal journal now contains a diverse collection including a party hat from my best friend's twenty-seventh birthday celebration, a heartfelt card from my grandmother congratulating me on moving into my new London flat, and a wristband from a concert I attended with my girlfriend. I cherish the prospect of revisiting this book in twenty years and recalling these meaningful moments.
Embracing Imperfection
I must confess that I have occasionally taken the concept of junk journaling perhaps too literally. One weekend, after removing my nail polish, I had the peculiar idea to glue the blue-soaked cotton pads into my diary. While this created an interesting visual effect initially, I soon discovered that the residual nail polish remover had soaked through five subsequent pages.
Rather than viewing this as a mistake, I have come to appreciate that such imperfections contribute to the journal's unique character and charm. The accumulated messiness somehow enhances the personal narrative contained within the pages.
Why Junk Journaling Benefits Mental Health
Transforming a simple black diary into a treasure trove of life's moments has proven unexpectedly therapeutic. This practice has encouraged me to slow down, allocate dedicated time for hands-on activity beyond digital communication, and appreciate the most mundane elements of daily existence. Who would have imagined that gluing old prescription bags into a journal could generate such genuine joy?
According to educational psychologist Dr. Ahmar Ferguson, junk journaling operates on multiple psychological levels. "Although junk journaling appears playful on the surface, it also taps into something much deeper," explains Dr. Ferguson. "It combines three processes research has shown to be beneficial for emotional wellbeing: expressive writing, creative self-expression, and mindful activity. When these elements converge in a low-pressure hobby, they can create a powerful form of everyday self-soothing."
The Freedom from Perfectionism
Dr. Ferguson emphasizes the psychological importance of the practice's non-judgmental nature. "Anxiety often thrives in environments of perfectionism, where people feel pressure to 'do things properly' or produce something polished. Junk journaling intentionally removes that expectation. It is meant to be messy and imperfect. This freedom can feel regulating because it allows individuals to engage in an activity without evaluation or performance pressure."
In both social and commercial contexts, self-care has increasingly become associated with obligation and performance. Junk journaling has provided me with a powerful tool to step back from these pressures and focus on fundamental creative expression.
As Dr. Ferguson notes, "A quiet half hour with a journal, some scraps of paper, and a glue stick might not resemble traditional mental health support from an external perspective, but psychologically it creates essential space for reflection, emotional release, and regulation."
While I have perfected raspberry Oreo brownie recipes and experimented with every brightening face mask Garnier offers, these activities never addressed deeper emotional needs. I will never underestimate the importance of my sertraline prescription, but regarding inner healing, nothing has ever induced the same profound calm as holding a glue stick and entering a complete flow state through junk journaling.
