If you are anything like me, then taking the time to journal every day is vital to your mental health and overall well-being. In fact, I could not imagine my life today without taking the time daily to journal and get my thoughts on the paper, however, it wasn’t always this way for me. I used to think journaling was a waste of time or something that frustrated me since I often didn’t know what to write. I never gave journaling a second thought until one day I found myself always stressed out. My nervous system was stuck in “fight or flight” and it was starting to affect my health and my marriage. I had to do something to balance out and my physical therapist recommended I start a journaling and meditation practice. So, taking their advice, three years ago I committed to my journaling journey and it has become a non-negotiable in my daily self-care routine for one reason; Journal Prompts.

Nothing quite gives me the clarity I need like diving into my thoughts. Having journal prompts every day in a guided journal setting absolutely changed the game for me! I love my journals and can proudly say I have completed more than I can count, however, one problem; they take up so much space in my office as storage once they are completed. I use multiple journals at a time with different kinds of guided prompts and this only adds to that problem. I knew there had to be a better way to get the same experience and I am so thrilled to share with you that I found the solution!

It’s called Journey App and it’s a journal and diary app that allows you to take different kinds of guided journaling programs for 2 weeks at a time and each program focuses on daily journal prompts. I started using Journey App as a way to save space but it also is serving as a good way to make use of technology instead of scrolling on my phone first thing in the morning. If I must use my phone when I wake up, then it is only to use the Journey App.

Along with being an app user myself, I am excited to be joining Journey as an external coach that can help guide you with daily journal prompts aimed at helping you regulate your nervous system and commit to your own overall self-care. Whether you are somebody that is just starting out or you are switching over to Journey App because you are interested in giving it a try, Journey caters to all levels of journaling so be sure to download the app and check it out!

We all know that saying, “You are your own worst critic.” It’s cliché but it’s beyond true. You are the only one ultimately able to control your own narrative and always having that self-judging inner critic in your ear is stopping you from going after your purpose and passions in life. The only way to work through that voice is to nourish it while simultaneously creating an even louder voice of self-love and compassion that has no space for self-judgment. 

As a Life and Health Coach, I tell all my clients the most important thing you can do is quite down your inner critic or as I like to call it your “critter brain”. Your critter brain needs nourishment and not to be silenced. Like a crying baby that needs to be nourished and won’t quiet down by forcing them, your critter brain cannot be silenced with toxic positivity or avoidance. It needs to be heard and nourished with self-care and self-love to assure it that you are safe. Otherwise, you are looking at a cycle of self-sabotage which our critter brain loves to participate in.

Once you are able to get that inner critic to quiet down you can start looking at your life through a lens of curiosity and can begin observing situations objectively and without an emotional reaction like fear or anxiety. This opens up the doors to so many opportunities in your life that had you not nourished your inner critic would be lost. 

Self-Care is the most misunderstood concepts especially when you have people shaming you that practicing self-care is selfish. Self-care is the furthest thing from selfish as you cannot pour from an empty cup. When you are running on empty and your nervous system is unbalanced, you are overstimulated, you aren’t sleeping well and eating whenever and whatever you have time for, you are doing your family and loved ones a disservice. They are essentially getting the discounted version of you and that is not fair them.

If this sounds like you, I challenge you to take the time to start showing up for yourself. Create a non-negotiable self-care routine that focuses on getting your nervous system balanced. The best way to do this is to create a morning ritual to start your day and your nervous system. Your morning ritual should follow these 5 steps:

1. Do Not Touch Technology for the first 30 min to an hour after waking
2. Go outside and breathe fresh air and let your feet touch the grass or soil and start to meditate, pray, or draw for at least 5 minutes
3. Journal in a guided gratitude journal
4. Move your body for at least 30 minutes
5. Fuel Your body with blood sugar balancing foods such as high proteins, fruits, and vegetables

Repeat these 5 things every day for 30 days and see how your cup starts to fill up again. How the people you love start to notice and appreciate the change in you. Your soul is full, you are calm and less reactive, you are finally sleeping better, and you are conscious of when and what you consume which allows you to be present for the ones you love. 

Picture this, you are on a vacation and you have taken care of everything that needs to be handled. The out of the office messages have been sent, the house is handled, the bills are paid. You are on a beach with your loved ones and you should be joyful, relaxed, and happy… but you are not. For some reason, you are off. You’re anxious. You don’t know why and because you do not know why you feel even more anxious. It’s an awful cycle I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

Here you are without a worry in the world and for some reason you are worrying! About what you do not have any idea and it’s ruining your day, your vibe, and making you feel a little crazy. As a CCE Certified Health and Life Coach, who specializes in Nervous System Regulation, I’m here to assure you that you are not… crazy that is. The reason you feel that way is because your nervous system is unbalanced. Years of stress and a lack of self-care can leave you with a nervous system that is stuck in “fight, flight, freeze or fawn” and in doing so can put your mind and body into a cycle of thinking and feeling like there is an emergency when there is none. This kind of cycle over a period of time can be the cause of many avoidable diseases such as auto-immune disorders and even cancers. Your nervous system is lying to your mind, body and spirit and the only way to stop this is to learn the tools on how to regulate it. 

We all have an inner light… Some call it a life force or an energy that flows through you when you are functioning at a higher vibration. Most people these days seem to walk around on autopilot with their inner light as dim as it can be. This isn’t their fault. It’s the society we live in, programming us to be disconnected; disconnected from ourselves, disconnected from nature, and disconnected from our inner power. All that disconnection has a negative effect on our God given light. What most do not know is that that energy is like a furnace that must be fueled. If you are feeling anxious, stagnant, and just not yourself lately, chances are you need to start fueling your inner light. 

“But how do you fuel your inner light?” is the response I usually get from my clients.  

It takes time, self-discipline and a non-negotiable commitment to taking care of yourself. The best ways are by regulating your nervous system and doing more of what you are passionate about. Once you feel what it is like to turn off your “fight or flight” response you will be able to stop surviving and start living your life in the moment and on purpose. If you need help with that, the best thing you can do is hire a life coach to help guide you in learning the tools to regulate your nervous system and rewire your mindset so you can feel that inner light begin to shine again!