We are what we digest. This isn’t only what goes down the hatch, but what we see, hear, think and discuss. Likewise, our mental state can affect our digestion and our digestion can affect our mental state. And weather it is mental, emotional or physical indigestion, if sustained for too long we will become sick. This can be true of minor recurring symptoms, symptoms that are mild but chronic, or something that has really decided to make itself a nice cozy home within you.

While not all of our symptoms have roots in unprocessed thoughts or emotions, I’m willing to wager that a good majority of them do. I say this not only based on my training and education, but through my clinical experiences. In consultations I not only ask about when the problem began, but also what the person’s life was like at the time. In patients, I have seen things such as chronic migraines that started when parents were divorced, esophageal spasms that began after death of a loved one, and psoriasis that began when someone was in a work position where they were forced to suppress their emotions. If we dig deep beyond our current physical symptoms, there is often a story that tells its origin. It is my belief, shared within the system of Ayurveda, that until we are really able to process the experiences that caused the symptoms, there is really no medicine that will work.

How can we chew, swallow and fully assimilate our experiences to maintain mental, emotional and physical health? We can talk, draw, move our bodies… and we can also journal. Journal for the current time and journal about the experiences that you had when you started to not feel well. Journal about the people that were involved or heck, get ballsy and write them a letter! You can always throw it away. The point is to use the pen and paper to finally clear the mental digestive pathways so that you can heal. It may not be an immediate relief of your ailments, but in the least you are likely to feel better in the moment and to be on a more permanent path of healing.

Photo by Anna Petrow

Journaling for the Non-Journaler

You read that right. Non-journaler. How do I know they exist? I’m one of them. Ugh, I used to hate to be assigned the task of journaling about something in a class or a training. I could see the benefit, but it always felt like such a task. Maybe it wasn’t the right timing, but I think it had a little something to do with the approach or structure. Because I want you to give this the old college try, here are some tips for you if you struggle with the same thing. And if you don’t, please have mercy on those of us who do!

1. Use Post-It notes as a way to organize your thoughts and clear your head to create room for mental digestion. You can’t digest anything with that big bolus of a to-do list in your head. Put each action item on your list on a Post-It note and put it on the wall. When you’ve checked something off the list, take glory in pulling that paper off the wall and crumpling it up.
2. Use “The Five-Minute Journal”–which, by the way, is a real thing. This is a journal that takes five minutes or less and asks cool stuff like “What are you grateful for?” and “What would make today great?” It prompts you to write in the morning and the evening. This has done wonders for my journaling skills. I actually look forward to journaling!
3. Create space and ritual around journaling. Get a cool pen to write with and make a cup of tea or (gasp!) coffee. Sit in your favorite chair and light a candle.
4. Journal before you get out of bed. Get those swirly whirly thoughts on paper before they take up your headspace and ruin your day. Set a timer for a few minutes and write whatever you are thinking, no pressure about content.
5. Commit to journaling for a week–no excuses. Like anything, once you start to do it consistently, you might not find it to be so tough. And if you still do, maybe journaling really isn’t for you! Cut yourself some slack and think about might be your favorite way to process emotions.