Keeping a diary. I started somewhere around the beginning of 2000, but unfortunately on paper which I have lost. In 2005 I switched to digital. I lost some more

Keeping a diary. I started somewhere around the beginning of 2000, but unfortunately on paper which I have lost. In 2005 I switched to digital. I lost some more notes due to using a proprietary format and app crashes but have since then written my notes in plain text. I have around 3500 (standard book) pages of personal notes. I started keeping a diary because I wanted to write fiction but couldn't keep at it, so I just put my streams of thoughts on paper. Later I got used to writing daily, and it has become my primary way to relax and clear my head. Reading what I was doing and thinking ten years ago has been very valuable to me. It's a treasure trove of memories. But it is way more than a nostalgic pleasure. It has helped me to understand my thought processes. And distance myself from it. It made me realise the meaning "you are not your thoughts" on a deeper level that is hard to explain here. I'm very happy I started this so many years ago and kept at it.