Hello fellow readers,
Everyone has those days where they have a lot of pent up emotions and just need to
let it out one way or another. Sometimes it’s what causes fights or sudden outbursts
at work or in the homeplace. Today I want to discuss the benefits of having an outlet
and some of my own.
I played soccer growing up and found it to be an amazing outlet for the longest time.
Unfortunately, it led to a lot of injuries and two years into high school I stopped
playing. I had a difficult time trying to find a new outlet, which caused me to bottle
up my emotions. In doing so, I took out my anger on my parents often, which was
not fair. So I started experimenting; I tried drawing/sketching, poetry, photography,
pottery, yoga, calligraphy and reading, but I never felt fully satisfied. I never felt like
I was good at any of them and a lot of them took time away from studying for school.
But the one outlet that withstood them all was journaling.
Journaling allowed me to vent, be honest, and track big events. By writing down my
emotions I no longer needed to attack my loved ones, instead, I was able to organize
my thoughts and emotions, and tried to understand how to solve them. When my
best friend died nearly three years ago, journaling helped me through it. I was able
to describe memories that came to mind and how I felt about the entire situation. I
wrote down a lot of “what-ifs” that I hesitated to discuss with others and like-minded
inner thoughts. Granted, to this day, I still struggle with accepting his death, but
journaling helped save me from falling into a deep depression - family and friends
also helped me so much through that dark time and I cannot thank them enough.
Journaling isn’t the same for everyone. It doesn’t have to have the “dear diary”
template, it can be anything you want it to be. It can be a question and answer, or
letter format, or there are even journal prompts you can use as inspiration. My first
few journals consisted of a mesh of letters, doodles, lists, poetry, short stories, and
just rants - with capital letters for emphasis. My journals evolved into simple cursive
writing where I would vent my emotions and concerns or things that happened in
the day. Now, it’s a mix of tracking big events, rants, and concerns. If I have a small
item from an event - say, a raffle ticket, wristband, or entry ticket - I stick it onto a
page in my journal using tape and write about it. It brings good memories and still
gives me space to write.
In addition to journaling I eventually fell in love with swing dancing - as I wrote in
Swing On By! - and try to dance as much as I can. Dancing allowed me to interact
with people and, in a way, physically let out my emotions. It also gave me something
to look forward to and challenge myself in. There’s so much room for growth that
there’s always something to work for, whether it’s learning other dances or
competing, I love it all!
See if you can spot me with my mom's crocheted skirt!
Having an outlet (a healthy one) helps you get through so much. My mom likes to
crochet some amazing gifts, a lot of my friends are into photography (and they’re
really good at it), or maybe you’re like me and enjoy taking time to write down your
emotions or go dancing! If you haven’t found an outlet, don’t be afraid to look for
one. It could bring you more inner peace than you think.
Live every day to the fullest.
Love, Damaris
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