You Donāt *Need* Therapy, You Need a Journal
Listen to this Voice Note from Maryam onApple Podcasts || Spotify || YouTubeA lot of people today think that they NEED therapy. This is mainly due to the high-stress lives weāre living, but therapy isnāt a NEED for everyone. Itās a nice-to-have for everyone. In fact, itās a strong nice-to-have. But is it a NEED? I doubt it is.Now, are there cases where people do NEED therapy? Of course! 100% yes!This voice note is not for those who do need therapy. Please, please seek the help you need from a professional. Ok?This voice note is for the rest of us who think we need therapy.Cool? Cool.Also, by the way, if your primary care provider says you do need therapy but can't afford it yet, journaling can be a great first step.Think you need therapy?So, why do āthe rest of usā think we need therapy?* Weāre stressed out!!!* Our mental health is lowkey falling apartā¦* Weāre spiralling* We need to process our emotions or unpack stuff, because āwhat is all this?ā* Weāre stuck and want to find clarity on our next steps* We want a safe space to feel heard with zero judgmentIf youāre nodding along to these points, this voice note is for you.The power of journalingThe good news is that journaling can help you with all the points above. Here are 6 ways I use journaling to get similar results. Not the same, but similar.* Journaling for Stress ReliefI recently learned that the stress we feel is not always due to the situation at hand. We usually feel stress because we donāt know how to cope. My husband for example is so chill when something happens because he believes most things have a solution, but my brain sees many situations as a threat to my entire existence. What journaling does is, it helps me break down my stressors and see them from a different perspective. Is my homeschool REALLY falling apart? Am I REALLY messing my kids up forever? Is the workload REALLY going to make me lose my mind? Journaling helps me talk back to the stressful situation and channel my inner chill.* Journaling for Mental WellbeingWriting down my thoughts and feelings gives me a clearer picture of my mental state. Itās like having a conversation with myself, and sometimes, thatās all I need to feel a bit better. When Iām feeling stuck and my mental health feels kinda mental, the process of writing things out feels like someone is holding up a mirror to help me see a way out, to remind me to be grateful, to remind me to call on Allah.* Journaling When Iām SpirallingSpiraling is āa cycle of negative thought patterns that can escalate and become overwhelmingā. This is my internal state a lot of the time, especially around that time of the month. Before I know it, Iām imagining worst-case scenarios for everything! So when I feel like Iām spiraling, journaling acts as a grounding tool to remind me to be here now. I write and write and write down those overwhelming thoughts, and somehow, writing them down with pen and paper helps me slow down and think more rationally. I usually end the journaling session with āHereās what I think the problem is, and hereās a solution I could try. Ya Allah, help meā¦ā* Journaling to Process EmotionsIām usually quiet when I get offended, but my brain does not stop! I have used journaling to unpack some deep feelings of envy, anger, hurt, rejectionā¦ We all have those moments when we feel big emotions inside and donāt know what to do with them. Journaling gives me space (and time) to analyze, step-by-step, whatās under the big feelings. A few years ago, I felt envy which I knew had no place in my heart. I was so bothered by it and started journaling. Then I realized I felt envious because there were things I wanted for myself but in reality, I wasnāt working towards those things, so I put my big girl pants on and got to work! And alhamdulillah thatās history now.* Journaling to Find ClarityWhenever Iām stuck or confused about my next steps, about a big decision, about lifeās big changesā¦ I turn to my journal. Writing helps me map out my thoughts and make more informed decisions. It slows my thoughts down enough to write out a pros and cons list and then write out the best-case scenario which gives me something to make duāa for.* Journaling When You Need a Safe SpaceMy journal is my safe space and has been ever since I was little. Itās a place where I can be completely honest with myself, without fear of being judged. Itās like having a conversation with a non-judgmental friend. Sometimes when I write my heart out, like the deeper things, I end up ripping up the page afterwards so thereās no trace of it left, haha. Journaling is my go-to because I need safe spaces more often than any human would be comfortable giving me.All of this to sayā¦If youāve ruled out any mental health crisis where professional help is needed, but you still feel the need to work through stuff, I highly suggest you consider journaling. Therapy and journaling can accomplish similar goals: providing a safe space, being non-judgmental, giving you permission to feel, and offering space to cry.A good therapist doesnāt give you answers or solve your problems, by the way ā they believe that you have what it takes to get to the other side, and they support you as you take the steps towards that.Journaling achieves a similar goal!Next stepsIf thereās only one thing youāre taking away from this, please give journaling a try.Start a journaling habit and see how it works for you.Let me know if youād like a breakdown of HOW I journal, I would love to support you as you start or improve your journaling journey.And hey, you know that friend whoās always stressed out and always in their feelings? I think theyāll like this voice note. Please do share it with them.Thanks for listening! If you found this voice note helpful, please hit the heart or thumbs-up button, and donāt forget to subscribe for more Voice Notes from Maryam.Happy journaling!Love + DuāaMaryamWhat Iām working onBelieve it or not friends, Iām working on putting myself out there a teeny bit more. For now, that looks like speaking on more podcasts! Cue internal screams from the introvert in me.Do you know any cool podcasts you think Iād be a good fit for? If yes, let me know and Iāll reach out to them! Bonus points if you know the podcast host and can do the introduction :)What Iām readingEven though Iām not allowing myself any new books for the rest of 2024, I totally just bought Teaching From Rest because everything about the book speaks to the current state of my homeschool-mama heart.A few days ago, I was doing sit-down work (math) with one of my Littles, and they started crying because they felt pressured! Thatās a HUGE homeschool red flag for me, and that tells me itās time to drop everything and reassess my approach to stuff. It gets hard sometimes but it showed me that I have NOT been teaching my children from a place of rest. Iām looking forward to gaining some perspective from the book inshaAllah.Iām the type of homeschool Mama who panics about falling behind but is also 100% sure theyāll ācatch upā inshaAllah. Weāll be alright. Math can wait for a bit inshaAllah. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sistersflourish.substack.com