A Committed Practice

Journalling is something that I’ve always been committed to. If I take a break, that absence tends to feed into my mental illness. 

There’s a lot of conversation in the media about being your own best friend and how to take care of your body and mind. Our society and the systems within it don’t teach us how to do that. We’re left to figure it out on our own. 

I’ve noticed a lot of peace within my journal lately. And I think this practice doesn’t only teach us to love ourselves, but to love being ourselves.

Tools and Techniques

My coach recently taught me about journaling through a stream of consciousness, and it’s been eye-opening. Writing down every thought that comes to mind with this method has helped me to figure out where I’m at and what is important to me. 

Caring for myself used to feel a lot like going through the motions, but now I have a greater awareness of what I actually need and what that can look like. I am fully engaged and present in this self-care.

It’s like having a conversation with your best friend. You know, the one you can tell anything to and they never bat an eyelash. They hold space for you and your feelings no matter how big or small, and they might even offer advice if you need it. 

My journal is like that, only it’s teaching me how to listen to myself. Listening to my body is powerful, but there’s more to it than that. Journaling allows me to understand why I’m in the state I’m in. And then I can transform it.

Leaning into the Transformation

Instead of being actively emotional, I can acknowledge those emotions, feel them and let them go. This is a huge key to caring for my brain, body and my sense of self and my consciousness.

This is all greatly influenced by my journal and my ability to journal. And every time my pen starts to run out of ink, I celebrate. Because it means I’m continuing to invest in myself.