This post may challenge or even displease you, but the concept I’m talking about is absolutely at the core of my love for journaling, and so I really have to share it. Tell me what you think, in the comments!
Journal writing and your body may not seem to be naturally connected. But if you have ever tried journaling as a tool to help with weight control, chronic dis-ease, pain management, or other physical demands, you know that there’s an intense, strong bond between our bodies and our mental condition.
And although we have brilliant doctors and cures in our modern age, it is still the individual who can best bring about their own health.
We can use journaling to do that.Physical ailments are traps, because they lead us to think we’re victims. It's not correct to say that we manufacture our own dis-eases, and I won’t pin the origins of your pain on you. I won’t say it’s your fault that you fell ill. You didn't cause the problem, but you are not a victim, either.
Letting yourself become a victim is giving up before you’ve even begun.
Because the benevolence of the Universe is that amazing! Even the smallest step you take to heal yourself will ripple out endless benefits for you.
How about we follow a week’s worth of journaling on becoming your own primary caregiver?
Wednesday: Me and My Body
What’s the relationship here? Not just with any pain or suffering you’re feeling. Think about your whole life. How would you characterize your relationship to your physicality? And how do you feel about your body at this point in time? Journal your responses to questions like these.
Thursday: The Challenge
Ask and answer a series of questions in your journal –
- What does my pain/dis-ease/dis-comfort look like?
- What sound does it make?
- If I could touch it, how would it feel?
- How does it work?
- How does it scare me?
- What does it want?
- What is it saying?
Friday: Fundamentals
On a new page in your journal, draw a line down the middle. List on one side the supports and resources you have to nourish your body. Money for groceries, helpful medications, and good friends are examples.
On the other side, list supports and resources you wish you had, even if they’re impossible. For instance, a loving spouse, a miracle cure, a villa on the Mediterranean.
Write a statement that summarizes the two sides:
- My family supports me but I want to know myself better;
- The doctors are awesome, though I suspect there’s another explanation for my issues;
- Life is really healthy here in the country but I wish I could afford a doctor’s care.
Saturday: Methods
What do you use to soothe your physical issue(s)? Drugs? Irritability? Laughter? Sleep? Pets? Exercise? Singing? Eating? Watching movies? List all your preferred methods. Which are your top two or three? Employ your top choices today and then journal an honest report on the experience.
Sunday: If I Was God
Go ahead, indulge. Create a written image of the world you’d make if you were the one in charge. Be child-like in this; don’t expect to produce a masterpiece! Respond before you give yourself time to think.
Monday: Appointment with Your Inner Clinician
We talk a lot about your Inner Critic and your Inner Coach – those mentors in our minds who strive to keep us on track. Now meet your Inner Clinician, the intuitive counsel inside you who knows exactly what you can do to heal.
Describe your Inner Clinician – looks, manner, your relationship. Spend a brief moment with closed eyes, picturing a real life encounter with this mentor. Then open your eyes and begin to write what you hear the Clinician say.
Tuesday: Options
The journaling spotlight on your physical problems over the past week may have been difficult or instructive or even healing. At the very least, you probably have a more clear idea of your options and alternatives for achieving optimal health. Make note of these in your journal. Add images or scrapbook items as you wish.
Finally, read over the week’s entries. Ask your journal, Can I trust myself to take care of myself? And, If I am in charge of me, what is my next step towards healing?
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The 24 Days Whole Health Journaling Challenge eWorkbook empowers you to take ownership of your health every day: getting back in touch with your body, mind and spirit and paying attention to what they tell you. Now is your chance to begin a habit that will last a lifetime.
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