In Part 1, I shared that Drinking Water was a simple way to show yourself love.
In Part 2, we will talk about a habit that I have rediscovered recently (within the last year) that has become a big part of my self care routine.
The Second way you can show yourself some love today is:
Journaling
I remember as a little girl, I had a hardback diary with a little key. I would write down my deepest thoughts and could lock it up so no one else could read it. I felt like I could write about anything.
Another memory I have was reading the book by Judy Blume, “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret,” over and over again. I LOVED that book! If you are unfamiliar with that book, it’s a coming of age book for girls where Margaret talks to God about everything. More on that in a moment…
Since then I have had A LOT of journals, notebooks, pieces of paper I have written in. I have started and stopped or tried a different notebook or 20. I wouldn’t like how my handwriting looked. I would start again and stop again.
I found that I was trying to write the perfect words, phrases, and that I had to write in my journal every day and I couldn’t have random thoughts, it all had to be perfect…
Ahhhh. Breathe.
Can anyone else relate to that?
Here’s the thing. Journaling is on my self-love list because I have a place to express myself anyway I want. It’s a beautiful way to spend time with yourself and to give yourself some love. It doesn’t have to be perfect, or a full page a day. It’s a place for:
- your thoughts and feelings
- gratitude
- daily happenings
- ideas for the future
- poems or songs
- fiction or nonfiction
- or _____________(you fill in the blank)
Journaling gives us the opportunity to sit, be still, block out what’s going on around us and spend time in our thoughts. To be honest, it is very meditative. It is calming. It is exciting. It is you on the paper.
I write down the things that I want to document in the present moment so I can go back and remember that memory.
I write down things I am experiencing now to give a gift to my future self.
With this practice you can look back 6 months or a year from now and see how far you’ve come or see what path you have taken.
Sometimes I use the Notes feature on my phone when I get an idea that I want to “write down” something and I don’t have my notebook. So, choose what feels best for you.
So, how are you going to incorporate this practice in your routine? How can you show up for yourself and write it out? Maybe it’s a trip to Target or your favorite store to grab a notebook, maybe it’s using a notebook or journal you’ve already bought. It’s setting an alarm in your phone to write for 10 minutes or adding it to your meditation or prayer time. Maybe instead of scrolling through social media tonight, you write.
Whatever works for you, think about it, commit to it and just start.
Thanks y’all,
Jen
P.S. I googled “Are you There God, It’s Me Margaret,” and they made the movie! It comes out this Spring (2023). OMG, I am so excited!!! I have to read that book again.
