Call and Response Journaling

We all have different parts of ourselves and it can be really helpful to let those different parts say what they need to say. Today, we’re giving the floor to two of these parts with an exercise called Call and Response journaling.  Here’s how it works:

• Think of something that’s bugging you– not the biggest thing, but something that’s like a 7 out of 10 on the irritation scale. Then, grab a notebook and write about this thing for 5 minutes (set a timer if you can). Let it ALL out.  No one is ever going to read this but you.
• After 5 minutes, drop your pen, stand up and shake out your body. Next, set another 5 minute timer, sit back down, close your eyes, and slow your breath down.  With eyes still closed, and imagine what your wiser, elder self might say about this situation you just wrote about. If that’s hard to connect with, imagine what someone you greatly admire might say about it. Then, borrow that wisdom for the next step:
• Take 5 more minutes and write down those words of wisdom you just imagined in your notebook. This is the response to your original rant. In the same spirit, go ALL out and say what needs to be said.Finally, read back what you wrote for both the original call and the response.

What do you notice? What did you learn? How do you feel?