I’ve been journaling since I learned how to form coherent sentences. As a child, my favorite days involved going to Claire’s at the mall and picking out a new diary with a lock and key, even though I already had a few of them in a box under my bed. I’m an external processor and an introvert, so I needed an outlet that was also a secret place.
It was therapeutic for me to keep track of my interests and patterns because in order to cope growing up, it was better for me to forget myself and “become” the people around me. But in my journal, I was always myself, and I built fantasy lands for my brain to find safety and for my nervous system to return to equilibrium. I would always find myself there.
To this day, my journals are archives of my thought processes, emotional dumps, affirmations, lists, drawings, goals, and dreams. When times are difficult, I know I have a space to fill with unedited thought. Journaling is my escape.
Emotional Addiction + Journaling
This past year or so, I’ve begun a healing journey deep into my subconscious and childhood memory. I’ve uncovered parts of myself that I had ignored or rejected in those early developmental years. Unfortunately, the layers that once served as self-protection have decayed into self-sabotage now that I’m an adult.
In this process, I discovered a concept called ‘emotional addiction,’ where your nervous system craves certain emotions and chemical hits because it learned that was “safe” or that ever-present chaos and anxiety meant that someone loved you or cared about you. (Learn more by following @the.holistic.psychologist)
I found that the more I journaled about my panic (thinking I was working through my issues), the more panicked I became. The more I “processed” my fear of abandonment, the more hyper-focused I was on all the signs that I might not be emotionally safe.
My counselor told me to take a break from journaling for a week and see how I felt. I found that the way I was frantically documenting every event and every conversation was preventing that heavy energy from moving through my body. It created a feedback loop, intensifying the very emotions I was trying to release.
I needed to find a new way to journal, and get back to the ways I wrote as a kid, the ways that felt like safety and peace. While it’s certainly necessary and valuable for me to process my emotional energy and thought life, I’ve introduced a few different kinds of journaling into my practice as a reminder to notice all the energy around me, not just what’s going wrong.
MORE OF THIS
list of good
This is similar to a gratitude list. It’s a punchy, short list where I reflect on all the beauty in my day, including the things that started off terribly and turned into something wonderful.
brain dump
This is a task list ONLY, nothing emotional, just stuff that I need to do that’s taking space in my brain. It’s also not a to-do-right-now list, or something to act upon immediately, but a reference for when I’m feeling like I’m forgetting something. I have a new rule where if the task can be completed in 5-10 minutes, I do it straightaway, to prevent this list from piling up and becoming overwhelming.
“what I needed to hear"
When my emotional needs aren’t met by the people around me, I’ll write out what I needed to hear in the moment, then read it out loud. This is a form of reparenting/inner child work that I learned in counseling, and it’s been a lifesaver for me. It helps release the pressure for my relationships to meet my every need, and I can give the moment more space to breathe.
what I want to learn/what I love/what I desire
This is a fun one! I’m an Enneagram 9, which means one of my deepest fears is losing people I love or creating conflict because I’ve expressed my own preferences and desires. The type nine tends to forget themselves and “fall asleep” to what they want. They tend to hide in relationships and ‘merge’ to the preferences and desires of the more dominant personalities around them. When I make the “what I love” list, it’s a beautiful way for me to remember that I have things I enjoy, and it’s ok if other people don’t get it or misunderstand me. I have my own desires, and I belong to myself.
prompt writing/creative writing
This is a method of writing I learned in a workshop with The Fold here in Nashville (Go follow them, @thefoldnashville!) Most of my poems and prose are written from single word, image, or quote prompts, thanks to their workshop. I feel more confident speaking my truth because of that safe and vulnerable space to write and share without judgement or criticism. It’s a lovely way to move some energy through and connect with your unseen patterns and the themes that run through your life.
LESS OF THAT
trauma obsessing
As previously mentioned, I no longer want to intentionally relive painful moments of my life for the sake of “processing.” I’m allowed to take a break from the deep and heavy work. I’m meant to exist fully in the present moment, to learn from the past in order to reframe it or release it, not obsesses over it and bring that energy with me into the future.
negative moment "deciphering"
In my journalling sessions, I would often overthink about the negativity in my life in order to figure out what went wrong and how to make sure I’d never experience that discomfort again. But what you focus on is what you begin to see everywhere, creating self-fulfilling prophecies that keep you stuck in old cycles. If I find my journaling session moving into this territory, I do my best to scan for any false messages about my identity and turn them into affirmations.
For example, if I find a story about how I’ll never have what I want and I don’t feel like I’m being taken care of, I’ll write a truth to combat that thought when it shows up again, like: I am worthy of my desires. I am accepted and deeply loved. I am moving at my own pace.