Emotional awareness

Daily Journaling Practice:

  • Journaling to increasing awareness of your internal state
  • Awareness of your feelings, values, likes, dislikes, motivators, etc.:

  • Awareness around why you do what you do, like what you like

  • Journal Prompts: Pick a specific area of focus and just start writing (stream of consciousness)

Here are some prompts if you need inspiration:

  • Why do you like the movies you do?
    • How do you feel after watching them (the violent/suspenseful ones as well as the romantic comedy ones?
    • They evoke different feelings/emotions. That’s why we sometimes want to watch a comedy, and sometimes we want to watch violent, mystery/suspense/thriller type films.
  • How do you recharge? After a long work week, how do you unwind and reset?
    • ex: being in nature? being outside? Being with friends? Reading? Driving?
  • what irritates you? Why?
  • Why do these things bother you? why do you not like them? what about them don’t you like? What do you feel like when you’re around personal irritants?
  • What are your triggers? why?
  • What makes you mad? What makes you uncomfortable? What flusters you? What sets you off?
  • What inspires you? Why?
  • What are your pet peeves? Why?
  • What makes you smile, brings you joy? Why?
  • What do you like about teaching? What do you enjoy about teaching others?
  • What stimulates you? What do you need to feel inspired?
  • What are you passionate about? Why?

“WHY” is a superb question to help us dig to deeper w/ internal thought & feeling Anytime you’re stuck, ask self a series of “why’s” to dig down If you read a book you really like, or really hate, take a few minutes afterwards to journal about WHY you like or don’t. If you watch a movie you like or dislike, take some time after to journal about WHY. If you get in an argument with your girlfriend and you feel angry/sad/disappointed/etc.. after, ask yourself why.

  • Notice how you react to things
  • Then try to dig for what’s under there - why did you react the way you did? Generally, there is a lot more under the surface than we realize.
    • Example: if driving and someone cuts in front of you and you notice you blow up with road rage, try to understand why the person cutting you off bothered you so much
  • If you tell someone you’ll do something when you know you won’t or don’t want to, stop and question why you said that

CORE VALUES

  • Here’s a link to a “core value” exercise you may find helpful