Journaling to Help You Heal Your Heart

photo by aithom2

During our last Slayer Session: How to Support Yourself through Emotional Pain Ananga and I talked about some supportive exercises you can use when you are feeling sad.  

One of the exercises we recommended was journaling. Journaling is a wonderful form of self-care. Whether you are recording your stream of consciousness or an internal dialogue - getting your words on the page is powerful.

Here is a journaling exercise to help you through difficult times.  All you need is some time alone, pen and paper and the willingness to heal your heart.  

Journaling for Reflection and Recovery

If you like you can begin your session with a ritual, prayer or affirmation. You might say something like "All is well, I am safe, I deserve to free my mind from sadness"  OR  "Journaling will help me heal my heart."

Begin by asking yourself the question: "How do I feel?" 

Write your answer on the page. Let your thoughts and emotion fly without judgment. Through journaling your feelings on the page you can finally let go of some of the emotional pain and sadness you are hanging on to. Your tears may fall on the page. Your handwriting may be erratic. None of this is of any concern. Showing up is all that matters. Answer the question and you will begin to free your mind and heal the hurt.

When you have finished your response to How do I feel, ask yourself: "What do I need?" 

Write your answer on the page. What ever comes up is fine. You already know what to do. Allow your thoughts to flow from your mind on to the page.  Without judgement.  When you've answered these two questions, you can move forward on your healing path. You may decide to keep what you've written or in a letting go ritual, you may choose to safely burn up the pages - as an act of closure. 

This supportive journaling exercise paves the way for GRACE.

In this week's podcast Shann coaches you through a journaling session to help you write your way through tough times. Listen here:

If you found this podcast supportive, please share it with your friends.

Related Resource: The Anxiety rescue Kit

For more support with anxiety and emotional pain, take a look at our new Anxiety Rescue Kit, it's packed with supportive audio and guided exercises to help you feel more calm and in control of unwelcome feelings.