Journaling T.I.P.: Writing about how we're feeling allows us to observe and manage our feelings as they arise, instead of being knocked over by them like a tidal wave. Next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, try this journaling TIP:
Take deep breaths
Identify thoughts
Practice self-compassion
Take deep breaths: Breath deeply. You want to be intentionally slow and steady, without hyper focusing to the point of being too self-consciousness. You don’t need to count, or keep track, just allow your belly and chest area to expand, before exhaling. This type of breathing signals our parasympathetic nervous system, taking us away from fight/flight/freeze tension, into a physical state of calm.
Identify thoughts: When you identify your thoughts, you are allowing for a more of an observers perspective on what troubles you. When you remember that you are the thinker, not the thoughts, you can detach from the feelings the thoughts are triggering. Keep breathing, allowing the feeling to flow through you. When you block, or deny the feelings, they can get stuck in the body, creating psychical symptoms. Write down what arises.
Practice self-compassion: Practicing self compassion means that you’re treating yourself the way you would a beloved friend, or family member. We are connected to all of humanity through our shared imperfection. Feelings are messy and thoughts are private for a reason. At least, it should feel safe being honest with ourselves. In this step, review what you wrote and ask the following questions:
If my friend or loved one shared all that with me, what would I say to them?
How is that different from what I say about myself, to myself?
We are all comprised of many parts. When we’re being compassionate to ourselves, we are reassuring ourselves that there are no bad parts (for more about this, check-out IFS creator, Richard Schwartz’s book of the same name). However, certain parts may be more appropriate to speak for us at any given time. Journaling honors and expresses all our parts, so that we may more consciously choose which part take the wheel.