when i think i don’t have anything ✍️

NotionSelf Care

May 7

there’s always some joy ☀️

i thought i’d maybe try a completely unhinged approach to this newsletter today. and just write. like the way i do braindump journaling. just let it all come out and see what comes out. it’s one of my fav self care practices. (cuz tbh, i’m sitting here thinking that i don’t have anything to share with you today - and i know that isn’t true)

lately i’ve been practicing feeling my feelings and emotions. i’m not quite sure what that looks like yet - to truly feel them. to be inside my body and feel them. to let them happen without judging them or pushing them away or saying “oh hey here’s that feeling again - ok i’ve noticed it and accepted it’s here - now it can go away byeeeeee!” cuz i realized that’s not actually accepting it and allowing it to be here 🤭 oops. well, it’s a practice.

i believe that i’ve got a whole stock pile of emotions that i’ve been holding onto in my body for quite some time. and now i’m ready to let it all out. to feel it. to process through it. to move forward.

i guess on one hand i thought it would be simple, or easy, that i would just decide to do it and it would happen and i’d be done. but i don’t think that’s how this works.

so i’m working on accepting that it might just be one tiny piece at a time. one little feeling at a time. or maybe big. breaking off bit by bit. and having that be ok. no matter how long this takes, it’s ok. to let it go at its own pace and know that’s ok.

and no matter what, i can handle whatever comes up, whenever it does.

i’d love to hear about any processes or resources you might have for bringing up and experiencing and allowing and processing through emotions. thanks in advance 🤝✨

and i’d love to hear about any relevant stories you’ve got pertaining to processing emotions. maybe we can work through this stuff side by side. i’ll be sure to update you with any breakthroughs in my practice ✨🖤

it feels fitting to choose the gratitude and joy journal as the template of the month this time since i’m going through such a big emotional self-care moment.

i absolutely lean into this template as my grounding point to start my day and the anchor to close it out. in the morning, i check in with the first 2 questions and in the evening i close it out with the last one and add a photo for the day.

i focus on 3 main questions every day:

what’s one thing i’m grateful for today?
what does my body need today?
and what’s one joyful moment that happened today?

and no matter what has happened in that day - easy or challenging - in the evening before bed, i always ask myself the joy question. it’s like a gentle nudge to search through the day to find one joyful moment. cuz i know there is at least one. and especially on the challenging days - it can be tough to notice and be grateful for all the other things that are going well or ok or joyful in my life. but they’re always there - we just have to be present and open up to noticing them.

and i also find it really special to choose a photo from my camera roll to add onto that day. i love photos and visuals, and they’re a really easy way for me to tap into feelings. at the end of the week being able to see all the photos from each day really helps to bring me some extra joy.

it helps to remind me of all the wonder and love and joy already present in my life. no matter what else is going on.

start tapping into gratitude and joy in your life - click the button to check out the template (there's also a youtube video there on how i use it!)