It sounds simple, journaling everyday will bring you clarity but how do we find the time? It’s a case of easier-said-than-done, finding time everyday to journal with busy lives; children and family, work and all the other things we do, it can be hard enough to drink a cup of coffee before it turns cold.
This ‘making time’ is important for me as I find that if I go a few days without journaling I feel overwhelmed with decisions. I’m sure you have felt like this before (hence your interest in this blog post), your mind can become foggy and forgetful, you find it difficult to make quick decisions and you feel a sense of anxiety and frustration not knowing what task to complete first. Then with it all being too much you decide to put everything off, snuggle on the couch and watch Netflix or read a book to relax your mind. Not very productive and the overwhelm is waiting for you when you put that book down.
So, I have a ritual every morning that helps me make time and it may help you too. Firstly, I head for the shower I will go clear my chakra system under the water as part of my morning routine. Here is a video by the lovely @Taylluna explaining how to clear your chakras in the shower. It’s quick and works well but there has been a lot happening these past few weeks and yesterday after breakfast I found myself still thinking where do I start, an overwhelming feeling came up.
I thought, “ok, I’m going to journal this out right now!”, (ha ha, very sternly) but sometimes that’s the trick. It’s been proven that if we have a thought and we don’t action that thought in the first 5 seconds then it becomes an afterthought and won’t get done. Think of all the incredible ideas you have had and of how many of them are now sitting in the afterthought pile because you questioned, how to do it, or what other people might think if you did it or didn’t believe you could do it. I’m sure one of those ideas would have made you a millionaire by now. So I had to be stern and take immediate action. I find that pulling an oracle card allows me to do this as its a starting point and releases my intuition and allows my mind to focus on one thing. Try it, it can help you take action in any overwhelming situation too.
I sat down to journal and pulled my card, it was about confidence and that the sky will not fall on my head at any moment (coincidence, i think not). It also mentioned that the beliefs learnt in childhood bring up fear and we can put limits on ourselves. I started laughing and realised how much of a mountain I had made out of a molehill. I used the journaling as a meditation and kept going until I had a powerful affirmation, ‘I am open to unlimited opportunities’. I can tell you that in the end I had 3 pages written and an affirmation, and I felt amazing! Depending on what’s happening I might pull more cards or just keep writing but most times I draw art, just for me and just because I love it so much.
I encourage you to try it next time you feel overwhelmed or have an issue circling around in your head.
- Start your day with a chakra cleansing shower
- Turn to your oracle deck when not knowing where to start
- Use your journal to express ideas and plan your next steps
It doesn’t have to take a long time, but as long as you start, as long as you take that immediate action you can come back and add to it if you feel you need to, just remember it’s already started and that can be the hardest part. So instead of hiding on the couch, open up and journal, you will find clarity on what you need to prioritise and you will be productive to lessen the overwhelm. That way when you do sit down to read your book or watch your TV series you will actually be able to enjoy it.
I love teaching this tool to others and if you’re interested in effective journaling my workshops can help you create a journal page that explores your inner self with simple drawings, symbols, mark making, colour and affirmations. I will be at The Destiny Tea Rooms in Brisbane on the 21st March, 2020 for high tea and half day journaling workshop. I’d love you to join me and my host Kate Denning. If you can’t make that date I am holding another workshop on Sunday 24th May, 2020 at Eumundi, “Mixed Media Surface Play” alongside my exhibition Beyond the Muse with Jane Marin and Monika Debrowska.

