5 Benefits of Journaling for Parents Who Are Empaths
While many people pleasers go through life resenting their relationships, you CAN embrace your sensitivity and thrive as an empath.
Have you heard of Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way?
The heart of her wildly popular system is a delicious ritual called "morning pages." I wrote 3 pages every morning for many years, through heartbreaks, career changes, and moving cross-country. I backpacked through Southeast Asia filling volumes. The routine kept me tethered, and my lifestyle supported it.
I'm not sure when I stopped, certainly before parenting.
I've thought about returning to it, now that I usually have 15 minutes to myself in the morning to sip my coffee in peace. Luxurious!
I still journal, just not every morning. Now I prefer to begin with a prompt, and free associate from there. Journaling isn't the only way to reconnect, but it is an accessible one. It fits the time you have. You don’t need to pay anyone to walk you through it. There’s no special equipment You don't even need to write. Interpret your self-reflection in your own way.
If you know, you know: as an empath, the pull away from center can be taxing, like a bough bent too far for too long. Eventually the branch snaps. We have a choice - return to our center or lose part of ourselves.
As parents of neurodivergent kids, how do we balance this? Pleasing others is part of the job description. There are ways to carve out time for your needs, and one of those needs is to get clear on your needs. Your own ideas on how to create time for reflection will be more empowering than mine. Ask yourself now, where in my routine can I pause for self-reflection?
I know that guiding myself from a self-regulated state where I am present and aware of my values has saved me tons of confusion, frustration, guilt, and anguish. I’ve made my values clear, so when I screw up (which is often) everyone in the family knows. That keeps me accountable. I repair right away and return to what feels right.
If you are feeling resentful about the invitation to turn inward, or think self-reflection is for some other parents, not you… if this brings up any big feelings, it is a really good sign that you need this. If you disagree, I would very much like to hear from you. Hit reply on an email or comment below.
Here are some of the benefits of journaling that I discovered, which are backed up by research.
5 Benefits of Journaling for Empaths:
Befriend Yourself: Journaling allows you to get to know yourself better. As you befriend your true self, you will discover where you end and others begin. You will grow your self-empathy.
Be Still and Mindful: Journaling is a meditative activity that we do on our own. It is not about taking in information from outside sources, but listening to your quiet inner voice. When you put all your attention on the feelings and needs of others, that voice shuts down. If seated meditation isn’t your thing, try journaling as another path to mindfulness.
Nourish Your Intuition: Journaling is an outlet for your intuition to flow through. Empaths are naturally intuitive, but that intuition can get buried under self-doubt, porous boundaries, and people pleasing until we stop trusting ourselves. Grow your intuition and let it blossom.
Enter a Flow State: Journaling is about the process rather than the product. It is a conversation with a wise part of yourself. In journaling, there is no concern over the outcome of our writing. Once you allow all of the mess, wisdom, humor, even the stagnant muck to move through you onto the page, you’ll feel the flow.
Release Your Troubles: Journaling is a therapeutic process. It may seem heavy, but the heaviness was already there, pulling you down. You were just not aware of it before. Journaling about our worries and traumas helps us overcome them. There is something about seeing them on the page that makes them less overwhelming. After writing about something upsetting, it may feel less scary, and you will make space for joy and ease to shine through.
“If you have a tendency to escape your pain… when you finally slow down enough to feel all the sh*t, and move through the shock and overwhelm of it, there is a tremendous amount of relief to be found in making room for the pain, in the gentle acceptance of what is.”
-Chela Davison
Are you ready to embrace your sensitivity, unlock your emotional resilience, and rewrite your relationships?
The 4 part gentle yoga and journaling series was made for you: Beyond People Pleasing: 3 Keys to Thriving as an Empath.
The combination of journaling (or self-reflection) and therapeutic yoga will be a catalyst for your courage as you go beyond people pleasing to thriving as an empath.
Join a welcoming and empathetic group for a series of live gentle yoga and journaling classes that will be recorded via Zoom June 20-23. The summer solstice fuels transformation, so it is an ideal time to shake your people pleaser and tame your emotional roller coaster.
Will you join me for Beyond People Pleasing: 3 Keys to Thriving as an EMPATH?
If you're ready to embrace your sensitivity, unlock your emotional resilience, and empower your intuition, I made this for you. ESPECIALLY if you're a people pleaser with porous boundaries, you won't want to miss Beyond People Pleasing, 3 Keys to Thriving as an Empath!
Knowing your most heartfelt values will help you prepare for the series. Here is a list to refer to, and another one, for ideas.
My core values are empathy, integrity, equity and respect. How about you?