Journaling is a powerful tool that can help you make connections between your environment, experiences, actions, feelings, and emotional states. It can help you monitor your progress toward goals over a period of time, identify patterns in your life, or set the stage for a liberating yet private emotional release. Some folks simply enjoy journaling for the sheer joy of the writing process. Whichever motivation spurs you to journal, there is a tool that can further boost the health and healing properties of journaling process. Adding a self-compassion journaling tool to your toolbox can increase your creativity and curiosity, as well as joy, contentment and feelings of connectedness with self and others. Self-compassion has also been demonstrated to reduce feelings of stress, isolation, sadness and anxiety. It serves as a moderator or buffer to our negative emotions and reactions.
There are three components to a self-compassion journaling practice that include self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness. These three characteristics serve as the framework for self-compassion journaling. Self-compassion journaling can be used at any time, but is most helpful during a stressful time, when you are experiencing pain or shame, or when you have made a mistake or stumbled in life. It offers yourself a space of goodwill towards yourself to help alleviate your distress.
During the journaling process first become mindful, aware to the present moment. That includes your feelings, emotions, physical state, mental state and the state of your surroundings. Rest, open, and allow for your thoughts and your sensory input to be noted without judgement. Next reflect on common humanity, which means that we all make mistakes. We all stumble, fumble, say the wrong things at the wrong time and lose our path. We are human and to err is a part of our condition. You are not alone in those stumbles. We learn and grow from both the bitter and the sweetness of life. Finally we hold ourselves in a state of self-kindness, meaning we treat ourselves as we would treat a friend going through a rough patch. Write words of kindness to yourself by thinking about what a good friend would say to you when you are feeling down. Things like "you tried, next time will be different" or "you may have stumbled today but you are a good and kind person and that is what is important".
By framing your journaling around these three characteristics you can rebound more quickly from the stumbles, embrace a growth mindset to learn from those stumbles, and move forward more quickly to reach your goals and be the best iteration of yourself.
Be well, be kind, be grateful.
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