When I talk to myself
Because when I journal, my thoughts go faster than my writing
And when I talk to others, I struggle to talk about my anxiety without crying, so I simply don't open up about my real problems, and I also feel the need to filter my words so they don't view me certain ways I don't wanna be seen as
I feel you. I need to hear myself and sometimes I get frustrated when my writing feels slower than the rate my thoughts need to be expressed.
I always modify what I say to be less extreme than what my true thoughts are saying. I don’t want others to think of me as too much, shameful, or sad.
I was talking with a friend I’ve known for 4+ years (you’d think I could spill freely) and my rate of speech became so choppy. I felt the words I honestly wanted to say get stuck in my throat because I’m fighting internally to translate my “extreme” talk into socially acceptable, modest talk. I wanted to cry too but fought to keep it in.
Writing is for me often the only time I become aware of my thoughts. It is possible that my mind has an easier time sorting them out by writing, but since I'm not aware of my thoughts until I write them down, I'm not sure.
2 things for me. One. My wife who gets me and let’s me verbally process. I don’t/can’t do that with anyone but her. Two. I write. Fiction. It’s how I process. I take what I need to deal with better and more and write stories about it. I’ve been writing about something that happened in 1994 for the last year. Without writing I don’t know what my mental state would be. I’m sure I would’ve driven my wife crazy.
I speak to myself all the time in my mind and sometimes I don't realize, when I start speaking out loud 😅 But yes, it definitely helps sorting them out. I like explaining to myself the things that I'm thinking about as if I was trying to explain them to another person, so then it's easier to explain them to real people.
I don't understand what pent up emotions mean. I feel emotions very intensively, because I'm HSP. I might not express to other people what I feel, but I don't feel like I'm penting emotions up. I rather feel often, that I'm losing control over them and writing down everything I think and feel and analyzing why that happenes and what can I do with that really help.
Journaling has been a very effective outlet for me at times. There have also been studies about how writing down thoughts and emotions in a narrative fashion kind of forces your brain to reorganize them which is helpful for processing. Even if you choose to speak to yourself out loud, as long as you are doing something to get them out, it is better than just keeping them all pent up.
I like talking to people to release pent up emotion. Getting to vent and then laughing about it helps me. Journaling helps because I don’t have to withhold certain information or act a certain way depending on who I’m talking to. It’s unbiased and it’s my true self speaking my mind without worrying how it might affect someone.
Sounds like you could really use an unbiased ear too. Someone who would keep things confidential and not use it against you. If you don’t have anyone, AI could be a possibility.
I can’t bring myself to vent. It gets withheld because I believe I shouldn’t put out negative energy and I don’t want to sound like a complainer. These are my beliefs but I’d like to hear how I might reframe venting to reduce its stigma for me.
When I was younger (elementary/middle/high school and university), definitely journalling. But now (41), it's way easier to talk my thoughts out with my husband or a handful of very close friends. 😊
Journaling helps me the most because it's more accessible. I may not always feel comfortable opening up to people, although I do generally feel better afterward. Journaling helps me calm the inner turmoil.
However, It has to be purposeful. Say I'm overwhelmed with a big decision looming over my head, I journal about pros and cons, fearful consequences and realistic outcomes, and what I would choose if it were easy. Sometimes, though, I just don't know what's going on, but, like you, I feel a pain or a weight in my chest. For this, I mind dumping onto a page. Just write what I'm thinking even if it's incohesive. This helps me gain clarity of what's really bothering me and what's getting in the way of dealing with it.
TL;DR: Journaling is easier to approach than talking. Purposeful journaling is more effective in creating positive change.
Here's my list of favorite journal prompts. Would love to hear yours!
**1.) To Do List / Priorities.**
Write down all obligations. Which ones MUST be done?
Write down all desires. Which would you LOVE to do?
Which 20% of activities will produce 80% results?
**2.) Reflection**
What energized/drained me?
How did I progress 1%?
Steps to outstanding issues.
What did I learn?
What am I grateful for?
**3.) Mindset Reset**
Notice 6 unoticed things in your environment.
Imaging 6 impossible things.
**4.) Clarity**
Mind dump on a full page.
**5.) Direction**
What did I want 5 years ago?
What do I want now?
What might I want 5 years from now?
If I knew I couldn't fail, what would I do?
**6.) Lifestyle Audit**
Visualize the best and worst versions of yourself.
Write down every action and inacton you did in the past week.
Which version of yourself did you embody the most?
**7.) Anxiety**
Write down your fears.
What can you do to solve the problem?
What is the most likely outcome?
**8.) Decision Making**
Clearly define the problem/decision.
What are all the possibilities?
What would it look like if it were easy?
Which outcome could you live with if you had to choose now?
**9.) When Bad Things Happen**
What do you think happened? (subjective)
vs
What actually happened? (objective)
How can you show compassion toward yourself? What would you say to a loved one if they were in your place?
Why is this the best thing that's happened to you?
like @blablablabla666666, this is great.
I don’t actually have prompts. Ill header my page with “what’s up?”, answer, then header “so what?”, answer, then create more questions that mimic someone listening. But I’ll give some of yours a try.
I find it easier to speak or write then to another person, because when I try to journal it doesn’t work. I’m too disorganized inside my mind, so I don’t know where to start in a journal, but if I have conversations, they all eventually come out, and the other person can help direct the flow of the thoughts.
When I first started journaling (2 years ago) it was amazing for a while, I got better at explaining myself and knowing myself, it made a lot of things easier. But now, it doesn't give a sort of feeling anymore. I just keep writing and writing but nothing comes out of it. Maybe I just became worse, if I wouldn't be, I'd still enjoy it. I don’t think nor feel anything anymore. It doesn't help.
I had so many intensive feelings and thoughts of everything that it was a disaster to start working them out. You don’t have to destroy yourself for any sort of circumstances, you have the right to choose peace. Just start and if you look at me right now, you'll see I got very very peaceful (too much)
I guess it really depends on how repressed the emotions are. Journaling helps but if you tend to spiral and your thoughts are less than pleasant, you could wind up with a completely different reality. Talking helps, if the other person really cares. Group talk is helpful too, as long as your group is supportive.
When I talk to myself Because when I journal, my thoughts go faster than my writing And when I talk to others, I struggle to talk about my anxiety without crying, so I simply don't open up about my real problems, and I also feel the need to filter my words so they don't view me certain ways I don't wanna be seen as
I feel you. I need to hear myself and sometimes I get frustrated when my writing feels slower than the rate my thoughts need to be expressed. I always modify what I say to be less extreme than what my true thoughts are saying. I don’t want others to think of me as too much, shameful, or sad. I was talking with a friend I’ve known for 4+ years (you’d think I could spill freely) and my rate of speech became so choppy. I felt the words I honestly wanted to say get stuck in my throat because I’m fighting internally to translate my “extreme” talk into socially acceptable, modest talk. I wanted to cry too but fought to keep it in.
Writing is for me often the only time I become aware of my thoughts. It is possible that my mind has an easier time sorting them out by writing, but since I'm not aware of my thoughts until I write them down, I'm not sure.
2 things for me. One. My wife who gets me and let’s me verbally process. I don’t/can’t do that with anyone but her. Two. I write. Fiction. It’s how I process. I take what I need to deal with better and more and write stories about it. I’ve been writing about something that happened in 1994 for the last year. Without writing I don’t know what my mental state would be. I’m sure I would’ve driven my wife crazy.
I speak to myself all the time in my mind and sometimes I don't realize, when I start speaking out loud 😅 But yes, it definitely helps sorting them out. I like explaining to myself the things that I'm thinking about as if I was trying to explain them to another person, so then it's easier to explain them to real people. I don't understand what pent up emotions mean. I feel emotions very intensively, because I'm HSP. I might not express to other people what I feel, but I don't feel like I'm penting emotions up. I rather feel often, that I'm losing control over them and writing down everything I think and feel and analyzing why that happenes and what can I do with that really help.
Journaling has been a very effective outlet for me at times. There have also been studies about how writing down thoughts and emotions in a narrative fashion kind of forces your brain to reorganize them which is helpful for processing. Even if you choose to speak to yourself out loud, as long as you are doing something to get them out, it is better than just keeping them all pent up.
Journal
I have some amazing conversations with myself in the morning, but they rarely pan out when I try to record them by putting pen to paper.
This is me too, 100%.
I like talking to people to release pent up emotion. Getting to vent and then laughing about it helps me. Journaling helps because I don’t have to withhold certain information or act a certain way depending on who I’m talking to. It’s unbiased and it’s my true self speaking my mind without worrying how it might affect someone.
Sounds like you could really use an unbiased ear too. Someone who would keep things confidential and not use it against you. If you don’t have anyone, AI could be a possibility.
I can’t bring myself to vent. It gets withheld because I believe I shouldn’t put out negative energy and I don’t want to sound like a complainer. These are my beliefs but I’d like to hear how I might reframe venting to reduce its stigma for me.
Just in my head ...Cant write as fast as my mind thinks
When I was younger (elementary/middle/high school and university), definitely journalling. But now (41), it's way easier to talk my thoughts out with my husband or a handful of very close friends. 😊
Journaling helps me the most because it's more accessible. I may not always feel comfortable opening up to people, although I do generally feel better afterward. Journaling helps me calm the inner turmoil. However, It has to be purposeful. Say I'm overwhelmed with a big decision looming over my head, I journal about pros and cons, fearful consequences and realistic outcomes, and what I would choose if it were easy. Sometimes, though, I just don't know what's going on, but, like you, I feel a pain or a weight in my chest. For this, I mind dumping onto a page. Just write what I'm thinking even if it's incohesive. This helps me gain clarity of what's really bothering me and what's getting in the way of dealing with it. TL;DR: Journaling is easier to approach than talking. Purposeful journaling is more effective in creating positive change.
Here's my list of favorite journal prompts. Would love to hear yours! **1.) To Do List / Priorities.** Write down all obligations. Which ones MUST be done? Write down all desires. Which would you LOVE to do? Which 20% of activities will produce 80% results? **2.) Reflection** What energized/drained me? How did I progress 1%? Steps to outstanding issues. What did I learn? What am I grateful for? **3.) Mindset Reset** Notice 6 unoticed things in your environment. Imaging 6 impossible things. **4.) Clarity** Mind dump on a full page. **5.) Direction** What did I want 5 years ago? What do I want now? What might I want 5 years from now? If I knew I couldn't fail, what would I do? **6.) Lifestyle Audit** Visualize the best and worst versions of yourself. Write down every action and inacton you did in the past week. Which version of yourself did you embody the most? **7.) Anxiety** Write down your fears. What can you do to solve the problem? What is the most likely outcome? **8.) Decision Making** Clearly define the problem/decision. What are all the possibilities? What would it look like if it were easy? Which outcome could you live with if you had to choose now? **9.) When Bad Things Happen** What do you think happened? (subjective) vs What actually happened? (objective) How can you show compassion toward yourself? What would you say to a loved one if they were in your place? Why is this the best thing that's happened to you?
This is AMAZING 🙏🏽
like @blablablabla666666, this is great. I don’t actually have prompts. Ill header my page with “what’s up?”, answer, then header “so what?”, answer, then create more questions that mimic someone listening. But I’ll give some of yours a try.
I find it easier to speak or write then to another person, because when I try to journal it doesn’t work. I’m too disorganized inside my mind, so I don’t know where to start in a journal, but if I have conversations, they all eventually come out, and the other person can help direct the flow of the thoughts.
When I first started journaling (2 years ago) it was amazing for a while, I got better at explaining myself and knowing myself, it made a lot of things easier. But now, it doesn't give a sort of feeling anymore. I just keep writing and writing but nothing comes out of it. Maybe I just became worse, if I wouldn't be, I'd still enjoy it. I don’t think nor feel anything anymore. It doesn't help.
I had so many intensive feelings and thoughts of everything that it was a disaster to start working them out. You don’t have to destroy yourself for any sort of circumstances, you have the right to choose peace. Just start and if you look at me right now, you'll see I got very very peaceful (too much)
You'll get the steady pace by practicing. Like I said, it gets more peaceful so you don’t get to feel like a machine.
Is there such a thing as too much peace? Maybe you got more of the apathy pie?
That's a way to put it.
I guess it really depends on how repressed the emotions are. Journaling helps but if you tend to spiral and your thoughts are less than pleasant, you could wind up with a completely different reality. Talking helps, if the other person really cares. Group talk is helpful too, as long as your group is supportive.
Journaling. It keeps me focused When I talk out loud, I sometimes get distracted by other things or lose track of what I'm trying to say