I keep a notebook. Several notebooks, rather. I carry a small moleskine notebook in my bag that I have with me at all times (for quick ideas and grocery lists). I have a composition book that I scrawl random, illegible notes in at home (think scratch work and indecipherable bursts of inspiration). And I have a leather-bound notebook that I use as a weekly (or monthly) account and recollection of my life. I find comfort in writing things down. Notebooks serve as a multi-functional tool for me:

• Memory. Mine sucks. It's nice to remember certain things that I may have forgotten. Keeping a notebook allows me to revisit a particular moment in time as well as the emotions that went along with it. It's also nifty for little reminders like, "You need paper towels" or "Kill the spider in your closet."
• Getting it all out. Some things have to get written out or I might burst, specifically events that trigger strong reactions. It's therapeutic to vent about trauma even if it might not feel that way in the moment. Sometimes the best way to work through something is to write it down.
• Practice writing They say the more you do of something, the better you will become at it. It's hard to tell if this same premise applies to writing, but I'm trying wholeheartedly to improve. Keeping a diligent notebook was just another way to strengthen my writing muscles.

I thought of Joan Didion and what she had to say on keeping a notebook. You can read it here.