One of the best tools for stress management is also one that I use the least – journaling. Meditate regularly? Sure thing, as much as I can. Move daily? You betcha. Journal practice?….?

I guess, in a way, I do journal through blogs and social media posts – kind of. Having that creative outlet and connection really does a lot for my stress levels. But really, it is more that I am writing than journaling. I rarely sit down with my pen and paper and do the work of journaling. I love writing, but this is the one that I make a lot of excuses not to do.

• I don’t have the “right” journal
• I don’t have my journal near me
• I don’t want anyone else to read it (no one is going to)
• I’ll think it instead

It is, honestly, a lot of excuses on my part, and something that I am making a goal to start adding in more often, along with my meditation and movement and mental “notes” each day.

Journaling practices, like gratitude journals or “brain dumps”, are some of the best forms of self-care. In fact, they are a core part of the SLP Stress Management Course. They help you to shift to noticing the positive and what’s working, so your brain isn’t stuck focusing on all that is going wrong, as well as give those negative or spiraling thoughts somewhere to live outside of your head. And this helps you to reduce your stress, manage it better, and, ultimately, take care of you.

But they are also really great for self-awareness. In fact, you can use journaling to enhance your self-awareness. While self-care is all about how you take care of yourself in order to show up as the best you can be for yourself and others, self-awareness is defined as by Merriam-Webster dictionary as “knowledge and awareness of your own personality or character”. Basically, it is being more aware or in tune with how you show up in the world, and who you are. This is so crucial when you are starting to work through your stress, burnout, and overwhelm at work, so that you are able to see how you are showing up and how things are affecting you or triggering stress.

You can use journaling to enhance self-awareness, which can help you to reduce your stress and be more aware of it and how it affects you. This is exactly what we dive into, and what we practice a bit of, in my interview with (former) SLP and Mindset Coach, Devin Roscillo of Unleashed Innovation.

Devin is an SLP turned Mindset Coach and founder of Innovation Unleashed, where she hosts regular workshop series and coaching programs to help her clients to see their limitless potential.

In the episode, Devin shares her journey with stress as an SLP, and how it led to her becoming a mindset coach, as well as some specific journal techniques she uses with her clients to enhance self-awareness.

Tune in below or check out all of the SLP Stress Management Podcasts here.