Weekly Half Mermaid Journal Edition 6
Quotes we loved:
“Writing is medicine. It is an appropriate antidote to injury. It is an appropriate companion for any difficult change.”
Julia Cameron
“I am the moons sister, a tidal child stranded on land. The sea always in my ear, a surf of eternal discontent in my blood.”
Keri Hulme
A Half Mermaid, Seaford
Journaling question we are pondering:
Being in the water can intensify the quality of our senses, almost like honing them in, filtering out non essential information and focusing on what is perceived as important in the moment. Notice how this applies to the quality of your listening when you are in the water.
Are you able to draw on your observations in ways that are helpful on land? How well are you listening? What are you adding to what you are hearing? What are you not hearing or refusing to hear?
This week’s blog post:
A Guide to Journaling
Picking up pen, paper and writing is something we have all done. But doing it solely for the purposes of self exploration, understanding and therapy is not as common a practice as it should be for such an accessible and incredibly beneficial tool.
Journal update:
They say two steps forward one step back….
In edition 4, we shared that we were in discussions with a distributer of global warehousing presence. It quickly became obvious our growth and marketing plan was no match for the world distributor, who deals with significant volumes of product per organisation. Speaking to a few more distributors helped us realise we will need to manage products ourselves. At least to start off with.
Following on from the edition 5 update, the costs have come in for having our journal printed locally. Unfortunately this turns out to be significantly more expensive. We will not proceed down this path and are re visiting options for ways to produce and make this personal journal available.
We are however working on some other exciting ideas which we will share as soon as we can.
One new thing we learnt this week:
In line with the journaling question for the week, did you know that blue light enhances the connectivity between the area of the brain that processes voices and the amygdala and hypothalamus, the later being the primary gateways for emotional processing. So blue light actually strengthens the neural networks that allow us to hear and understand voices (1). Is this not amazing when you consider as humans we evolved in on planet of deep blue oceans and surrounded by blue skies.
Blue Mind, Wallace J Nichols, page 89.
Seaford Pier in the blues of summer, Melbourne
What we are listening to:
Episode: “A Science - Supported Journaling Protocol to improve Mental and Physical Health” of the Huberman Lab podcast.
Dr. Andrew Huberman, walks the listeners though a specific science supported journaling protocol that has shown in hundreds of scientific studies to improve physical and mental health. In his usual articulate and clear communication style, Dr. Huberman explains in detail the journaling process and how recreating the negative experience can bring relief and help the person reframe and change the narrative surrounding the experience. I was amazed to hear that this protocol, designed specifically to help people heal from trauma has been proven to increase neuroplasticity and improve immune function, among other benefits.
An excellent listen to better understand how intricately linked our physical, mental and emotional states are, the human story creation process and especially if you would like to explore ways to change your own response and narrative around a highly stressful or traumatic experience.
Link to the episode is below, you will find The Huberman Lab podcast in all platforms.
Important note: HalfMermaid is not a licensed metal health service and not a substitute for professional mental health assessment, treatment or advice. The journaling prompts and guides offered, are general in nature. If you are struggling, please see a healthcare professional or call the mental health support line in your locality.
Till next week….
Swim. Coffee. Journal. Live. Love. Repeat.
Half Mermaid, PO Box 4012, Doncaster Heights 3109, Melbourne Australia