A paper-only journal would defend against the state, but not against people you live with. A digital journal can be encrypted, but an intelligence agency could potentially gain access (like, them reading your anti-government rants that may involve violence… that sort of stuff).
So… how to defend against both threats?
(Also, I just realized, paper journals cannot really be easily backed up…)
Use TAILS on a USB drive, and keep the USB drive somewhere nobody would think of looking. Underneath the tissues in an open box, buried in a jar outside, or just on a keyring unless you’re worried about being taken in yourself