7 Lessons Journaling Has Taught Me

#StressManagement #SelfCare #SelfNurturing #Wellness #Growth #Journaling

I have been stuck; truly, stuck in situations that I did not want. I have felt trapped in bad relationships. I have felt trapped in jobs in which I was overworked, underpaid, and undervalued. I have even lived in less than ideal situations. I have both the memories and journal entries to prove it. Just all around stuckness, with no motivation and monotone emotions. Disconnected.

In today's society, it is all too easy to disconnect. Which sounds crazy or contradictory when you think of just how connected we are. The beeping and buzzing of our phones and tablets from emails and notifications. The humming of the computers we use for email, social media, and streaming services. As discussed in our article, Dialing Down the Volume in a Noise Polluted World, "Noise literally interrupts and infiltrates many areas of our lives. This noise clutter can produce everything from sleep issues, impaired hearing, to agitation and stress related cardiovascular symptoms." Yet with all this connection, we often find ourselves disconnected, from ourselves. And this is where I found myself friends. Disconnected from me.

How did it happen?

Just when and how exactly did I disconnect. I've rolled these questions around in my brain off and on over the years. The truth is, there were stressors that occurred in my young life that should have never been. And like all humans, my stress response kicked in. When we face a threat, whether real or imagined, our bodies and minds respond by releasing hormones that provide a sudden surge of energy. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the fight-flight-freeze response because it’s designed to help us detect danger and rescue ourselves from it fast. However, when these stress hormones are continually activated and released over extended periods, it can lead to chronic stress. This prolonged stress caused me to develop the “disconnect” instinct as a mechanism to protect me from emotional trauma. My mind effectively put up a guard on itself to maintain my sanity. The problem is, because of life circumstances, the disconnect instinct got repeatedly triggered by lower-key events. As this happened, I developed a more consistent pattern of emotional suppression thus losing touch with my true self in the process.

This of course wasn't the only reason I developed disconnect but it definitely was the catalyst that got this snowball rolling downhill. Add in the familial, religious, and societal pressures that asked me to pursue certain paths or act in certain ways out of a sense of duty to family and community, I learned to silence me. My desires, my passions, my goals not only took the back seat, I never even fully discovered or explored them.

The Dangers to Disconnected Living

The dangers vary for us all. For me, it manifested itself as having an anxious personality, low self-esteem, digestive issues, and as time went on, a suppressed immune system. Other things to be on the lookout for can include: depression, memory issues, high blood pressure, diabetes, increased aggression, obesity, fatigue, loss of energy, or fibromyalgia just to name a few. Now these things do not occur over night. Being disconnected becomes second nature over a long period of time. If any of this sounds like you, you know my spiel if you have been a long-time reader. Call up your primary care doctor, schedule an appointment, and get a full medical evaluation. From there, your primary care doctor can help you explore referral options to a qualified mental health practitioner. Another great way to reverse this sense of disconnectedness is by journaling.

Lessons Journaling Has Taught Me

Journaling is a practice of regularly writing down your thoughts, feelings, experiences, and reflections in a personal journal or diary. It's a form of self-expression and self-reflection that can take various forms, including written words, sketches, or a combination of both. I haven't always been the most consistent at this practice but about 4 years ago, I began regularly writing in both a manifestation journal and a gratitude journal. Here are a few lessons that I have learned along the way.

Tell us in the comments below. Do you journal? If so, how often? What lessons have you learned? Any similar or different to mine? In today's fast-paced world, where digital screens, constant distractions, and stressors dominate our lives, the practice of journaling offers a unique opportunity to connect with our true selves. Journaling is a holistic practice that promotes self-awareness, enhances memory, reduces stress, supports clarity in situations, enhances gratitude, promotes goal setting, and nourishes creativity. Journaling invites us on a journey inward, a conversation with the most intimate part of our being that often gets ignored. So, pick up a pen, open a fresh notebook, and embark on your own journaling adventure. You might just discover the transformative power of this age-old practice in your own life. And please remember that wherever you are on this wellness journey, do not worry about getting it perfect; just get it going. Until next time. Happy reading!

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