The “Big Black Dog”

Well I started off the year so excited and happy about blogging. I have plenty of ideas for posts. But alas, I have not posted in nearly 3 weeks. The truth is, I’ve had a harder time re-adjusting to life in CA than I’d anticipated. Going from living in a house full of family to living alone with only Harmony, my cat, for company is hard. Not that Harmony is bad company. She is truly my baby and I love her with all my heart. <3 I also love spoiling caring for her and making sure all her needs are met.

Besides Harmony, the other company I live with is not always so pleasant. It’s a…metaphorical Black Dog*.

I’ve had a “Black Dog” in my life ever since I was in high school. It grew bigger in college, and even bigger after college. Sometimes the dog shrinks and I’m able to fit it on a leash. Other times it blows up so large that I’m living with a Big Black Balloon Dog. The past two weeks have been balloon dog days, triggered by the difficulties I’ve had in readjusting to my CA life after the holidays.

This is not a woe-is-me post. This post is about giving that dog less power by exposing it to the light. I can feel the dog stomping over my keyboard. Sorry dog, but you have been found out. You’re not going to win this battle, at this moment. 🙂

My therapist suggested journaling, which I do each night. I have a nightly ritual now, where I update a variety of things (all pen-and-paper):

• Regular  journal. Generic blank notebook.
• One Line a Day 5-year Memory Book (It’ll be fun to compare entries over a 5-year-period)
• One Sketch a Day Visual Journal (very fun, just draw whatever you like each day with no rules).
• The Keeping it Together planner (present from my mom. It’s an extremely positive and colorful life planner that’s so fun and easy to use).
• Lily Pulitzer pocket agenda in Tiger Lily (my mom gave me this one as well, when she switched to a different planner)
• Mary Engelbreit 2014 Keep Good Company Planner: Yes, it’s supposed to be a planner but I use it as daily gratitude journal where I write down only positive things that happened each day. I saw this at Barnes & Noble when I was in Chapel Hill and fell in love with the beautiful illustrations and inspiring quotes throughout.

I look forward to my nightly journaling ritual. It’s been so therapeutic. I use a different color pen each night and as a result, the pages are lively and fun to look at. I realize how much I have to be thankful for in life, and that’s a great way to end each day.

* I have nothing against black dogs. I know many nice black dogs (including my uncle’s dog). Black dogs are NOT bad. Dogs are NOT bad. Black things are NOT bad. I’m only using this metaphor since that was what the creator of the video I linked used.