I'm sort of conflicted over it. On the one hand, it's nice to have a place to put some of these thoughts without having to share it with anyone. On the other hand, I feel like it's taken me to some darker places than I anticipated and I wonder whether it's as helpful as it "ought" to be.
Is anyone else finding that the experience is going differently than you thought it would? Are others having more positive results?
As disgusting as it sounds, I didn’t shower yesterday. Not because of depression or anything but just because i didn’t want to. I took a “bird bath” as my Mother used to call it (May she Rest In Peace), put in my deodorant, brushed through my hair with water and spent most of the day lounging around my apartment until I had to go therapy.
Now usually in therapy, I cry over things like my son not paying attention to me and how lonely I am. Yesterday, my therapist completely turned things around on me and told me of my strengths! How dare he! Ha! I wasn’t expecting that. The man is good.
So I’m sitting in this room, unshowered, messy hair, in complete shock, ready for a tearful session and instead I’m smiling. I think he knows how to read hearts.
#Messyjournaling
When I'm having a bad day or throwing myself a pity party, I know I can validate those feelings while still feeling grateful for what I do have. That's why we've made gratefulness a part of our self-care challenge this November. As you start a "messy" journal full of any & all thoughts you have, we encourage you to end your day with naming one thing you're grateful for, big or small. Today I'm grateful I have my dog, who will always greet me with a smile even when I'm being a downer.
What are you grateful for?
#Messyjournaling #MentalHealth #ChronicIllness #MightyPets #MightyPoets #CheckInWithMe
When I'm having a bad day or throwing myself a pity party, I know I can validate those feelings while still feeling grateful for what I do have. That's why we've made gratefulness a part of our self-care challenge this November. As you start a "messy" journal full of any & all thoughts you have, we encourage you to end your day with naming one thing you're grateful for, big or small. Today I'm grateful I have my dog, who will always greet me with a smile even when I'm being a downer.
What are you grateful for?
#Messyjournaling #MentalHealth #ChronicIllness #MightyPets #MightyPoets #CheckInWithMe
I used to have a lot of trouble journaling because I overthought it. I wanted every word to come out perfectly. Others are intimidating by writing at all and think because they're not "good" at it, they shouldn't journal. And some people better express themselves through poetry, drawing, dancing, music and more. That's why this month, we're making a "messy journaling" self-care challenge for you. Here's how it works:
1. Spend at least 3 minutes each morning and 3 minutes each night journaling. That's it. Just 3 minutes (though you're welcome to do many more.)
2. To start each journaling session, write whatever is on your mind at this time. This may mean you are literally writing, "I am journaling right now. This is bad. I feel silly. This can't possibly be helping me. Why did I say that ridiculous thing out loud today at work?"
3. At the end of your morning session, write one thing you are going to do that day to help you feel happier. This can range from big things like attending a concert or reaching out to an old friend to little things like singing out loud in the car to a song no one else seems to love as much as you do or spending time with your pet.
4. At the end of your evening session, write down one thing you're grateful for. Again, this can be big and small. One day, you may be grateful you have an amazing support system. Another day, you may only be grateful there was enough sugar left over to make your coffee taste just right. There are no wrong answers. This may feel like a challenging task if you are someone who deals with a debilitating condition, life-threatening illness, depression, etc. In the depths of my own pain, there were days I was tempted to say I wasn't grateful for anything. But ultimately that way of thinking did me no good. I've found there are ways to acknowledge you have it tough while also appreciating the beauty in your life.
If writing is truly not your thing, every morning and evening, draw what you're feeling. Then, answer the same questions. Some days this may look like scribble. Other days you may feel inclined to use every crayon you have. The drawings don't have to make sense to anyone but you (actually, they don't even have to make complete sense to you). Similar to the writing challenge, don't question what your brain wants to draw -- just get it out.
6. Your journal can be store-bought if you'd like. Or you can make it even messier and use pieces of paper you have lying around. Throw the pages out when you're done if you want to. There are no real rules. The messier the merrier. If neither of these options work for you and you prefer a little bit of structure, we've also made a prompt you can print out each day and use. You can find those clicking into the first "Story" on the #MyMightyMonth page.
#MentalHealth #ChronicIllness #Selfcare #CheckInWithMe #MightyTogether #ChronicPain #Disability #RareDisease #Parenting
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