Journaling My Way Back to the Woman I Use to Know: My Journey to Self-Awareness

As women, our lives can be busy and unpredictable. We try to find pockets of time for ourselves as we meet the many demands of life. In those little pockets of time, we try to remember what makes us feel happy, anxious, safe, or yearn for more. As life unfolds, I never take the time to jot down my feelings and revisit them later. Feelings of disappointment in my lack of dedicated time for reflection led me to journaling. Journaling allows me to express myself, explore my feelings, and take the time to work through those feelings.

Sometimes as I write down my feelings, I am reminded of all those small moments that bring me joy that I overlooked. Other times it challenges me to want more and become strategic on how I will achieve my goals. No matter how long or short my journal entry is I always leave with a sense of direction.

I encourage you to find yourself again through journaling. Take the time to rediscover who you are. Ask yourself, who am I outside of motherhood, my job title, or my social status. Take the time to remember what makes you smile. Determine what environment makes you thrive. Discover what obstacles keep you from achieving your goals.

Before the New Year comes and you post a selfie with the caption “New Year, New Me”; create goals that sound good but don’t reflect your needs; I encourage you to take the next few weeks to become more self-aware of your emotions, thoughts, environment, and actions. I believe that by achieving self-awareness, one can avoid superficial goals; goals that are watered down by others' opinions or goals that truly don’t reflect who you are or what you need.

If you are new to journaling, I’ve listed below five easy tips to help get you started:

1. Schedule it: Your life is busy, if you aren’t intentional and dedicate time for journaling, you won't be consistent. Consistency will yield the best results.

2. Find a quiet space: Find a space with no distractions, even if you have to sit in your car for a few minutes before you enter the house after work; hide in the bathroom and turn on the shower to get just a few minutes to gather your thoughts and write them down. I encourage you to do it. Journaling in a quiet environment will allow you to process your thoughts and feel the emotions as your write them down.

3. Dedicate a section of your journal entry for words of gratitude: I know that days can be tough, but I believe that even if you can find just one moment that brought you joy, peace, or feelings of love, you may realize that life isn’t all bad. Also, identifying what brings you joy can help you dedicate more of your time and thoughts towards those things

4. Be honest: Your journal should be the one place you can be open and honest. Don’t hold anything back. Write down your fears, worries, or thoughts you weren’t able to express to others. Writing down those thoughts will help release those emotions. You don’t have to hold on to trapped feelings. Your journal can be your tool of release.

5. Set goals: Set goals that will help you overcome your fears. Set goals that will facilitate more moments of peace and joy. The goals you set will help guide your future and allow you to have better control of your day.

As you use journaling to become more self-aware and as a tool of self-discovery, you can set goals that will consider your physical, mental, and social needs to not only survive, but to thrive. You deserve to thrive; you deserve to be the best version of yourself. You deserve to feel alive and not just exist. On your road to self-discovery and self-awareness, be sure to always make wellness your best accessory!

Your Sister in Wellness,

Lauren