Whether we keep our diaries private or share them with others, writing down our feelings can make us feel better. But some people, like a doctor called Adam Kay, find that writing for other people changes the way they write. Their entries might be better, but they might not have the same benefits because they know other people might read them and that can make them less honest and open.

Writing a diary has been a way for people to feel better for a long time. Famous diarists like Samuel Pepys and Anne Frank have shared their personal stories with the world. Diaries are not just a way for us to be creative and express ourselves, but they can also teach us about history. They can show us what daily life was like, what important things happened, and how people felt about them.

But there are some downsides to keeping a diary. Some people might feel bad if they don't write in it regularly. And sometimes, diaries aren't as private as we think they are, and that can make us feel uncomfortable. It can also be hard to keep writing every day, and some people might choose to leave out certain things or only write about what they want to.

In the case of Sir Patrick Vallance, his diary became public and people used it to criticize the government's response to the pandemic. We don't know if he found it helpful or not, that's something only he knows. But overall, writing a diary can be really good for our mental health. It helps us understand our thoughts and feelings, makes us feel better, and teaches us about ourselves.

Original news source: Can writing a diary protect your mental health? (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions: Divide the students into pairs or small groups. Give each group a few minutes to read the article silently. Then, ask them to summarize the main points of the article in 3-4 sentences. After they have finished, have each group share their summary with the class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Write the following question on the board: "Do you think writing a diary is beneficial for mental health? Why or why not?" Ask the students to think about their answer and write it down individually. Then, have them pair up with a partner and discuss their opinions. After they have discussed, conduct a class poll by asking each pair to share their opinions and reasons.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Prepare a list of vocabulary words from the article on small pieces of paper. Divide the students into pairs. Give each pair a word and ask them to draw a picture to represent that word without using any letters or numbers. The other pairs must try to guess the word based on the drawing. The pair who guesses the word correctly earns a point.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the students into groups of 3-4. Ask each group to discuss the pros and cons of keeping a diary. They can use the information from the article as well as their own opinions and experiences. After the discussion, each group should present their findings to the class.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask the students to imagine that they are writing a diary entry about their life one year from now. Have them think about what they hope to achieve, how they want to feel, and what they want to remember about this time. Give them 5-10 minutes to write their diary entry. After they have finished, ask volunteers to share their diary entry with the class.

Writing a diary can be really good for our mental health, ? to experts. Sir Patrick Vallance, who is a top scientist in the UK, started writing a diary during the Covid crisis to help him feel better. He didn't plan on anyone else reading it, but he found that writing down his ? and feelings helped him feel ? and happier. A therapist called Julia Samuel says that writing can help us let out our ?, reduce anxiety and stress, and even make us feel better physically. Whether we keep our diaries private or share them with ?, writing down our feelings can make us feel ?. But some people, like a doctor called Adam Kay, find that writing for other people changes the way they write. Their entries might be better, but they might not have the same ? because they know other people might read them and that can make them less honest and open. Writing a diary has been a way for people to feel better for a long time. Famous diarists like ? Pepys and Anne Frank have shared their personal stories with the ?. Diaries are not just a way for us to be ? and ? ourselves, but they can also teach us about history. They can show us what daily life was like, what important things happened, and how people felt about them. But there are some downsides to keeping a diary. Some people might feel bad if they don't write in it regularly. And sometimes, ? aren't as private as we think they are, and that can make us feel uncomfortable. It can also be hard to keep writing every day, and some ? might choose to leave out certain things or only write about what they want to. In the case of Sir Patrick Vallance, his diary became public and people used it to criticize the government's response to the pandemic. We don't know if he found it helpful or not, that's something only he knows. But overall, writing a diary can be really good for our mental health. It ? us understand our thoughts and ?, makes us feel better, and ? us about ourselves.

1. What is a diary and why do people write in them?
2. How would you feel if someone read your diary without your permission? Why?
3. Do you think writing a diary can help you feel calmer and happier? Why or why not?
4. What are some benefits of writing down our thoughts and feelings?
5. How do you think writing can help us reduce anxiety and stress?
6. Do you like the idea of sharing your diary with others? Why or why not?
7. What do you think might change about your writing if you knew other people would read it?
8. What can diaries teach us about history? Give examples.
9. How do you think diaries can show us what daily life was like in the past?
10. Have you ever kept a diary? If so, how did it make you feel?
11. How would you feel if you didn't write in your diary regularly? Why?
12. Do you think diaries are always private? Why or why not?
13. Why do you think it can be hard to write in a diary every day?
14. Would you choose to leave out certain things or only write about what you want in your diary? Why or why not?
15. How do you think Sir Patrick Vallance might have felt when his diary became public? Why?

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