Hello, My Old Self

Journaling When Your Thoughts Wouldn’t Shut Up

Hey.

I remember you.

I remember how loud your mind was.

How the day would finally end, your body would be exhausted… and your brain would decide now was the perfect time to replay everything. Over and over.

You weren’t being dramatic.

You weren’t broken.

Your nervous system was just fried from holding too much for too long.

Back then, one of the things that helped me quietly and gently was journaling.

Not the “be productive” kind.

Not the “fix your mindset” kind.

Just… getting the thoughts out of my head and onto paper so they didn’t have to live inside me anymore.

Because when everything stays trapped in your mind, your nervous system stays on guard.

It keeps scanning. Rehearsing. Preparing for the next hit.

Writing gives those thoughts somewhere to land so your body doesn’t have to carry them all night.

At first? It felt awkward as hell.

I didn’t know what to write.

Some days I wrote the same sentence again and again.

Some days I complained. Some days I cried.

Some days it was absolute nonsense.

And honestly?

That was more than enough.

Over time, something subtle shifted.

My mind got a little quieter.

My body felt a little safer.

Sleep stopped feeling like a battle.

That tight emotional pressure in my chest loosened its grip.

Journaling didn’t magically change my life.

But it interrupted the mental loops.

It gave stress somewhere to go.

It helped release emotional buildup that had been piling up with nowhere else to land.

It even softened some of the habits that came from overwhelm such as shutting down or reaching for food when I was already exhausted.

Not because journaling was powerful.

But because space is powerful.

You don’t need prompts.

You don’t need rules.

You don’t need to do this every day to “count.”

You can write one sentence.

You can write the same thought ten times.

You can write and never read it again.

This isn’t about doing it right.

It’s about giving your nervous system a break.

A place to put what it’s been holding alone.

If this resonates, take it.

If it doesn’t, leave it, no forcing, no guilt.

You’re not failing at healing.

You’re not behind.

You’re learning how to listen to yourself.

And honestly?

That alone can feel like relief.