When we approach personal growth from a place of shame and self-judgment, we move further away from its intention and the whole process may start feeling like a self-punishment and a never-ending quest for “improvement.”
Here are a few things to remember: 1. Be patient - there is no place of arrival 2. Find a way to truly enjoy the process 3. Don’t measure your progress by where someone else is 4. A part of you may not want to change - try to understand why 5. You can get to the same place by motivating or criticizing yourself Let's talk about the incredible benefits of journaling and how it can transform your life.
So, grab a pen and a beautiful journal, and embark on this enriching journey of self-reflection and personal growth. Your future self will thank you! When we engage in therapy, we are encouraged to open up and share our thoughts and feelings.
However, there are moments when we struggle to find the right words or fear the vulnerability that comes with sharing certain experiences. Sometimes, our silence stems from a fear of judgment or rejection. We may hesitate to voice our true thoughts because we worry about the consequences or how others might perceive us. Check in with yourself:
A big part of life is recognizing when it's time to let go of certain things so we can let in something new, more fulfilling to take its place. A journaling prompt I love (particularly when I feel weighed down) is "What do I want to let go of?" or "What is weighing me down?" Think about the things, beliefs, opinions, feelings, memories, regrets, experiences, people, habits, etc. that feel heavy, burdensome, and unnecessary. Let yourself write until nothing else comes to mind. Notice how you feel after putting those burdens down. Let yourself be in this lighter state, and from that place ask yourself, "What do I want to let in?" or "What do I want more of?" Let all the things, beliefs, opinions, feelings, memories, regrets, experiences, people, habits, you would love to let in come to you. You don't need to force answers, rather let them arise from this unburdened state you're in. Notice how it feels to let in all that goodness. From the very first session, self-awareness if one of the main capacities we aim to increase in psychotherapy.
Lack of self-awareness is like sleepwalking through life. We keep reacting to the things around us based on our conditioned responses that are often rooted in traumatic experiences. If we continue to live this way, never exploring our reactions, we don’t give ourselves a fair chance of discovering who we really are - our true Self. Self-awareness is a gateway to uncovering our true Self, to understanding our motivations, desires, and choice we make and what we create with those choices. Once we know why we do what we do and how its’ affecting us, we have more choice over it. We have more freedom to choose how we respond. |
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April 2024
AuthorSladja Redner |