SNAP! Sort it out on Paper

I discovered that one of my passions, writing, is a powerful tool to help process feelings of guilt and the anxiety of caregiving. Putting my feelings down on paper makes it possible to sort through and process which ones are totally irrational and which ones I can turn around. They won’t go away magically, but they will eventually become manageable.

In her book Option B, Sheryl Sandberg describes the benefit of a positivity journal. This is the complete opposite of journaling failures and frustrations. It’s like a boost of positive energy. Every day, I plan to jot down three good things that I did or that someone did for me. Believe me, it’s not an in-depth psychological analysis of my day. I keep it simple. 1. Woke up. 2. Ate salad for lunch. 3. Janet called to say hi

But looking back at what I’ve written over the weeks and months makes me realize my life isn’t so bad. In fact, when something good happens, I think, “Oh, I can use that!” I focus on the good stuff, so the negativity has less room in my head. As I purge the negativity, self-compassion emerges.