deep journaling: a brief guide

I’m going to share my process for what I call “deep journaling” — which is a structured way to confront difficult emotions on the page. it’s a process I’ve been using for many years to work through deep and dark things. it’s painful and clarifying, like a bitter tonic.

when I feel shitty, I try to do this compulsively, but it also takes energy and willpower, which I don’t always have in moments of weakness. in that case, the first priority is to self-soothe and nourish. you can try this 30 minute centering ritual. then, you will have the strength to face your demons, and to tame your dragons.

in the end, deep journaling yields me so much greater self-compassion, understanding, and eventually — awakening, insight, and growth.

this is a process i invented. it is part of scorpio self-care 101.

okay, are you ready?

STEP 1 — find a physical space to hold you

find a peaceful space. bring your journal and a few undisturbed hours to yourself.

give yourself some nourishing drink. when I had no peaceful spaces of my own, I sought out cosy cafes. that was my cafe therapy.

take deep breaths before you begin. know that you can face anything. facing shit is better than sweeping it under the rug. it will (eventually) stink far worse than it does now.

STEP 2 — the journal vessel

(1) INHABIT THE BODY — describe how this emotion is carried in your body. what’s the physical sensation of this state of being? can you describe it - with a gentle detachment and curiosity? it helps me to think of emotions as birds - just visitors.

(2) DESCRIBE THE EMOTIONS — put down words to how you feel — as many as you feel like you need.

(3) WRITE DOWN THE EVENT — what was the triggering event or experience or catalyst for these feelings?

(4) WRITE DOWN THE UNDERLYING THOUGHTS — what thoughts or beliefs contribute to these emotions and feeling-sensations in your body?

(5) DIG FOR THE ROOT THOUGHT-BELIEF — with each thought, ask yourself if you can go deeper. at each thought, as yourself the question “why” — why do I feel like this is true? what is the underlying assumption? the goal is to pare down all the thoughts into one “root thought-belief” that is causing the suffering. this is the source.

(6) DECONSTRUCT THE ROOT THOUGHT — usually the root thought is made up of parts, and a lot of if-then statements. often, it’s created by an unconscious logic and conditioned, patterned assumptions — perhaps from childhood. the goal here is to take the root thought-belief and break it into parts. A, B, C, D. write each as an individual belief/statement. use a detached logic here. if you feel overwhelmed, breathe a lot. this is shining a flashlight on the dark mess in the closet.

(7) TRUE/FALSENESS — now, look at each piece of the deconstructed root thought and ask yourself — is it true? how is it true? how is it not true? do it for A, B, C, D parts of your root thought, one at a time.

(8) REFLECT ON ORIGIN-PATTERNS — these root thoughts often stem from very old wounds and childhood patterns. ask yourself: where else have I experienced this pattern in my life? what could be the source of this? what similar experiences have I had that triggered this? where does this come from?

(9) REWRITING YOUR INSIDES — once you have (a) held space for your feeling-thought sensations (b) examined and deconstructed them (c) ascertained their validity or falseness, now it’s time to rewrite the conditioned root thought into a positive, life-affirming statement.

write it down as an intention-prayer for yourself.

a personal mantra.

a self-created tonic that can heal even your deepest wounds.

remember that you are your greatest healer, your most devoted gardener. more on scorpionic healing here.

write down how you want to feel. what you choose to believe in, how you desire to grow and expand and evolve. these things may not feel true at the moment, but perhaps, years later and with daily intention, you’ll look back and realize that they have become true. we are what we choose to be. we are how we choose to feel, everyday. inner work is a daily practice and process.

wellbeingKening ZhuOctober 8, 2020dark tunnel days, wellbeing tools, best of, dark places