In the middle of our busy lives, we often forget that we need a space of our own, away from the demands, away from the screens, a quiet corner where we reconnect with ourselves. Throughout my life, I have always had a space of my own. It doesn’t need to be a room or a large space. It can be a small corner or even a diary. From the age of eleven, I started writing in my diary. That was the first step toward connecting with myself. Before that, I saw myself as a daughter, a student, a friend, or a cousin, defined by all these roles. The first time I began seeing myself as me was through my diary. The medium of connection was my pen and my diary.

Initially, I began by writing letters to myself. I would start with, “My dear me…” and write about how my day was or how I felt throughout the day. Some days, I had nothing much to write and would just note a quote; on other days, I would draw a small pictorial representation of the day. Even years later, when I open my diary, I can still feel those moments. More than describing what happened, I used to write about how I felt about the day.

As this habit continued, I became someone who knows myself better than anyone else. I had many dreams and wishes, and I used to write about them. Sometimes, I would revisit those pages and read them as if I were the author of a great book. It helped me a lot. Coming from a family where girls often married after 18, I became the first in my generation to complete my Master’s degree.

I truly believe that writing and reflecting on consistently can create meaningful changes in life. It is also a form of manifestation. That 11-year-old girl may not have been aware of the psychological effects of this habit, but she had a dream to pursue a degree in psychology. There were many barriers along the way, but they did not affect me deeply. My little diary was the only place that held my insecurities, anticipatory thoughts, and everything else. It was my space to release my emotional baggage. The strength of writing down your emotions and thoughts should not be underestimated.

Later in life, I developed that space into a beautiful corner filled with plants, my paintings, and my colors. Years ago, it was just a sketch on some pages of my diary, and now it is a reality I live in. It is a space where I reconnect with myself and process my emotional baggage. Every one of us, regardless of age or gender, deserves a calming space of our own, a place where we reconnect with ourselves and do something we truly love. Engage yourself in a meaningful hobby. Turn your hobby into a habit.

At the end of the day, the person we have been waiting for is our own self. Eventually, we will reach that realization. So don’t delay connecting and reconnecting with ourselves. Finding a beautiful space of your own is a must! Connecting with our own self is an art, and we all are artists of our own.

Shaniya Bhanu School Counselor- Primary