day 17 journaling most helpful

Day 17 the thing that is most helpful to me is journaling -However when i journal my TMS immediately flairs badly. I wake up fine. I journal in the morning and the symptoms flair as I write. I am taking this to mean that I am uncovering deep emotions. I also listen to pain free you youtube videos when I exercise and Nicole Sachs podcast when I drive or walk. I am reading about how to refocus my mind onto things away from overthinking and worry.

 

I learned the value of journaling when I did the SEP in 2011 - but after that, I would only get out the pen and paper when I was having a setback and got really desperate. Even though I'd read Nicole's book, and have been listening to her podcasts for many months, I still couldn't make it a regular habit for a long time. But by listening to her podcast every week, I was finally convinced to make it a daily habit, and I have to say that even though the times are hard and stressful, my state of mind and body are both hugely improved over the months prior.

I write at night, which I think clears my mind for better sleep. I do free-writing, just scribbling stream-of-conciousness stuff onto crappy notepaper, which I recycle when it's full. I have also added the habit of finding at least one thing to write down for which I am grateful - big or small, I don't think it matters. It turns out that it's not at all hard to do, and whatever it is, it always makes me smile. That's a good way to end the day!

 

Journaling has really helped, is really helping me, too. These days they go straight to the shredder, and I am so much more honest with myself. This morning I got to a really interesting place--I wrote out a conversation as a little girl getting the reassurance and soothing she always wanted from her father. So much came up and out. I've been reading about re-parenting ourselves, and learning how to feel and process feelings. Love the journaling.