“Those sorts of diaries are made out like they’re unimportant and feminine – a discardable tool just for women who want to talk about relationships,” says Dr Kelly. “Or maybe you think of Anne Frank or Virginia Woolf and a certain structure and format. But it’s not just for documenting your emotions. It’s also to celebrate yourself and think about goals and situations from different perspectives.”

Three in 10 people aged between five and 18 kept a diary in 2022, according to the National Literacy Trust. While a recent survey by retailer Penhaven found one in four women still regularly write in one.

Rachel Bilski, 33, a yoga therapist and writer from Cheshire, says she keeps one for personal growth. She started a diary as a child to help deal with her home life, but as an adult, she uses it as a reflective tool. “In the past, it was literally ‘Dear Diary, today this happened, and that person said this, and it made me feel this way’ format. Now it’s a bit more introspective – a more mature, adult version of what I did as a kid,” says Bilski, who finds that looking back at her entries can be helpful.

“If I’m going through a big change or I’m feeling stuck, I’ll go back to a particular time and read through that year or six months and it will show me ways I’ve grown or remained stuck, so that helps me to work on stuff but in a really soft, directed way.”

How keeping a journal became the cool girl activity of 2023