It is a wintery Melbourne Sunday morning, I am sitting here with a candle lit by the fire, listening to some favourite tunes, reading back on journal entries over the last months.
Some of the writing reflective, and some of the writing trying to work through parts of life that are not sitting quite right. Regardless of the style of entry, what is recognisable, is that when I have articulated something, it generally has come to life.
Journaling can be a pathway to greater self-understanding.
Similar to therapy, journaling gives me space to acknowledge and explore the stirrings beneath the surface of consciousness. As I write, it is as if the parts of me that perhaps had felt less understood, experience themselves being heard and known. As more of me feels held … my body begins to soften, more breath flows and life energy returns.
Not surprisingly, journaling is often something I encourage clients to engage with, in between sessions.
Journaling for me, evolved out of letter writing. As a country girl, I was sent to boarding school at quite a young age, and writing letters was a simple way to stay in touch with my family that I missed so much.
However, journaling is something that many also find challenging.
Here are some tips on journaling -
- Allow yourself to express – give yourself permission to write however the words appear on the page – some days there may just be random words, other days full flowing sentences, even poetry – what is important is that you are giving yourself space to express
- Free of judgment – remember this writing is for you, it is not being assessed by anyone … and let that include yourself! But if that judgy part does appear, consider giving that part some space to speak on the page, you might be surprised by just how much this may soften as we make space for all of ourselves.
- Make space – consider giving yourself a dedicated space to do this – I find mornings in my favourite spot on the couch ideal, where I am super comfortable and before my mind is too full
- Free of expectation – allow for there to be days where writing is minimal and others where there is an outpouring
- Bring ritual to the process - to help mark the beginning and ending, I like to put on music, light a candle and write in a favourite journal – and then when I am done, I blow out the candle, put the journal away and move on with my day
- Try it out – for the next 7 days commit to journaling every day, and then reflect how the experience was for you
Similar to my journaling, I rarely know which direction my writing will head, and I trust what is needed will appear on the page … so, I hope this is helpful and thank you for reading.
I would love to hear about your experiences with journaling.
Hoping you can find a moment for you today.
Love as always,
Sarah xx
1 comment
Beautiful words Sarah xx