With all of those approaches in mind, you may be wondering: Is there anything I shouldn’t journal about while on vacation?

As you might expect by now, the answer isn’t so black and white. In fact, there are two sides to it and your best bet to finding pleasure in journaling is to assess your situation and go from there—here’s how: 

“What I would avoid is anything that feels hard or confrontational because you probably don’t have the same degree of support at your disposal,” Rubin says. 

Plus, vacation is meant to be enjoyed. “Pleasure is an underrated part of mental well-being,” she notes, so maybe this isn’t the best time to dig into really deep and dark territory or start the long journey of analyzing unresolved trauma. 

But say you set out on vacation with the intention to dig deep into your thoughts and sort through tangles. In that case, maybe it is a good idea to sit down and really dive into your conflicts—but make sure you have emotional support when doing so as you never know where this practice will take your mind. 

Still, when you’re out of your normal routine, you may gain more perspective because you’re separated from the bubble that is your day-to-day life. This could be beneficial for making decisions you’ve previously felt at odds with, or creating a positive plan of action for when you return home.

No matter what approach you take, remember that this endeavor is supposed to be enjoyable, not busy work. If it doesn’t feel right, set the journal down and come back to it when you feel more aligned with the idea. And if you’re not sure what you’re going to want to do, pack it just in case—a compact book and a deck of cards doesn’t take up much space, anyway.