I rarely ever leave home without my journal. It’s endured water and tea stains, chocolate smears from my mid-day protein bar, and it’s pages are currently being held together by a rubber band since the binding came undone after a bicyclist ran over it in the park. Regardless of it looking like it survived a nuclear explosion, my journal is still one of my top prized possessions that I would immediately rescue if there were a fire (next to my dog and my yoga mat). For introverts like myself, our journals are like the holy bible, encompassing more about ourselves than even we know, and we’re the authors!
Why do we hold so much importance to what probably our extrovert counterparts would call “just a notebook”? It’s because our journals are our form of self-care. They have the equivalent effect that a mud mask has on exfoliating the skin, that a green juice has on cleansing the body, and that cucumber slices have on depuffing the eyelids. It’s the fundamental self-care that we need for our souls. Yes, the melodramatics are necessary. Let me break it down in my guide to journaling for self-care, as told by a professional introvert.
(photo by @charityvictoria)
find a quiet place and write
This is crucial for introverts new to journaling for personal self-care. When we’re not used to writing our deepest thoughts on paper, any disruptions and background noise could be too distracting for us to focus on the task at hand. There is a purpose to journaling besides adding more weight to our book bags. It’s a way that introverts can communicate to ourselves and to others. The confusing thoughts in our minds make much more sense when regurgitated on paper than they do milling around in our heads. This is our form of self-expression, a vital part to an effective self-care routine. Experienced journalers are able to write anywhere—on the noisy part of the commuter train, sitting in a park next to a construction site, while our toddlers are screaming in the next room. But as a newbie with fresh pages to fill, find a quiet corner and let the words flow out.
create a comfortable environment
This could mean strangely propping ourselves up against several trees to find the one casting the best sunlight and grassy terrain. Locate the setting that feels the most comfortable to sit for a while. Maybe write with a favorite pen equipped with a cute colorful topper, or the pencil that’s sharpened down to the point and barely big enough to grip but still manages to produce magic on the page. Allowing ourselves to harbor with our thoughts in an area that feels comfortable can provide real clarity to what we write down. And it releases any anxieties and stresses that may be brewing as they flow out onto the paper.
get vulnerable
It should be obvious by now that the practice of journaling is not meant to scribble down all the reasons why we love our dogs (sooo much) or our summer vacation plans. Its purpose is to dig deeper into understanding our innermost thoughts and feelings. The things that we would have trouble verbalizing to a friend or anyone else in our social circle. Oftentimes we don’t know why we feel the way we do about certain things and jotting down the thoughts that arise can help gain lucidity and understanding for ourselves first. Be prepared to release some really vulnerable details that unknowingly manifested. Remember, journaling for self care is not like writing a blog post for everyone to read. It’s an old-school way of expressing our feelings that are for our eyes only, and no one else’s commentary.
allow it to get messy
Upon purchasing our first journal, we instinctively are so careful to keep it away from coffee spills and unexpected rainstorms. But as we begin to fill up the pages, we care less about the book’s external presence and more about the relief we feel after spewing our words onto the page. It’s the therapeutic way to release all the pent up anger, resentment, happiness, joy, frustration, sadness and whatever else we’re mustering in a harmless manner. Writing in a journal can give us the same feel-good vibes as a workout class or what any other form of self-care can. And for the introverted personality types who enjoys their alone time, it’s the self-care our souls need.
Where is your favorite place to journal?
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