Funny story: I recently took the Myers-Briggs personality test and discovered that I am in fact an INFP, this rare personality type that occurs in just 4% of the population (or so the website tells me).
INFP stands for Introversion, INtuition, Feeling, and Perception. In other words, people with this personality type:
- are comfortable in their own company
- have a really wide imagination
- feel things too deeply
- are very sensitive to the world around them.
In other words: it's a crazy accurate description of me.
It pretty much explains why I cry over fastfood commercials and fictional character deaths.
It also probably explains why people like me get mentally and emotionally overwhelmed by the world around them quite often.
I wish I could say that there was a way to turn this trait off, but unfortunately, it's a tough endeavor. Trust me, I tried. A lot.
For INFP people, feelings and thoughts just pile up inside us until it drives us nuts. It becomes noisy inside our head, especially in this age of social media and the internet, where news and information travel fast and extra loud.
So how do we cope? How do we turn the volume down and regain that sense of self and sanity?
The answer is surprisingly simple and old-school: we keep a journal. :)
Journaling has always been part of my life. I've been keeping a journal since I was a kid, but this habit kind of slowed down during the past couple of years. Because who needs an old-school journal when you have a blog and Twitter, right? You can just air out your feelings out there, duh.
At least, that's what I thought.
Until last year, when I suffered from a severe creative slump.
My gulay, those were tough days.
You know that feeling when you're always tired and uninspired to do anything? That was how I felt for months. Months. I was mentally exhausted. Frustration constantly gnawed at me. I kept doubting my life decisions and overthought every tiny detail.
It was a mentally and emotionally messy affair. I was ready to cave when I thankfully rediscovered the joys of writing on a journal again.
Think of journaling as your quality time with yourself.
When you're journaling, you're moving in your own space and pace. There's no rush or pressure to be correct. There's no one to impress. You don't have to be witty or made-up or anything. There are no likes to count, no metrics to reach, no quotas to think about.
You're just there to come as you are.
And when you learn to give yourself some quality time, you become more centered and mindful.
Journaling For Mindfulness and Creativity
Writing on a journal helps you gather all your stray thoughts. I found that doing this helps me to stay focused and be more organized. It's like a repository of all your musings, whether they're on-point or just plain random.
I also think its better than any notepad or productivity app. There's just something different about taking a nice pen and writing in a notebook, personally. That feeling of being briefly disconnected from apps and emails? Bliss. Think of it as a part of a healthy digital detox regimen. When your phone or laptop becomes too much, your journal should help you drown out the noise of the outside world.
It also helps one to remember better. I tend to forget a lot of things (grocery lists, to-do's, last night's dream, my latest idea, etc etc) so when I write all the things I need to do or jot down the things I'm thinking or feeling, I feel like my thoughts aren't so scattered anymore. Keeping a journal, ultimately, helps me to keep all my ducks in a row.
The nice paper, cute pens, and stationery are just the icing on top of a really good cake. :)
Love yourself a little and start a journal
This Valentine's Day, stop stressing over dates, chocolates and flower bouquets. If you don't have a date, or simply refuse to celebrate V-Day the usual way, give yourself some loving and start taking care of your mental and emotional state. Start a journal. It's important to slow down once in a while. Stop spreading yourself too thin, bes, and take the time to love yourself a little. Your future self will thank you for it. :)
Journaling does wonders to INFP people like me, but I'm sure it would also do you a whole lot of good, even if you've got a different personality altogether. :)
That's it for now, lovelies! Comment your journaling journey below and let's geek out together! :)
All the love,
K x
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