Supporting Questions for Chapter 3 Exercises in Ganim and Fox’s “Visual Journaling: Going Deeper than Words” book.

This is a guided visual journaling using an excerpt from Ganim and Fox’s Visual Journaling Going Deeper than Words. Chapter 3 Exercise 3.

This episode talks about facing imposter syndrome in it’s face and using what’s in your hand.

1. Acceptance of Thoughts and Feelings

This exercise is about the mindful acknowledgment of our psychological experiences as well as cognitive defusion.

· Start by sitting comfortably upright in a chair, in a relaxed position with no crossed arms or legs.

Close your eyes slowly and gently, then quietly feel your breath as it moves in and out your body. Note any physical sensations across your body with relaxed detachment.

Take several minutes to notice how it feels in your chest, in your lungs, as it moves through your nose, throat, and stomach. Don’t worry about the pace or depth of your breathing, and as you take some time to be in the moment, other thoughts will drift along—just recognize their existence and try creating some space inside for them.

As you breathe in, visualize yourself making more room in your body for these thoughts. Recognize that they are simply thoughts. Memories are just memories, and emotions are just emotions that come and go. If it helps, label them for what they are and gently bring your attention back to your breathing.

Worries or fears might also come along, and you can label those too before once again returning your mind to the present. You might catch yourself thinking self-critical thoughts, but there is space in your body for these before you let them go again. See if you can observe them while not taking them as truth. If they persist, remind yourself that you’re only observing your own experience.

When you’re ready to wrap up, try to end with the feeling of detached acceptance. Throughout your day, you could try evoking the mindset of an observer, rather than a reactor.

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Guided Imagery Script: Self-Esteem

[Adapted from materials from Inner Health Studio and Performance Resource Press] being read out loud.

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Reading a guide of how to play with clay with intention to feel and know more about yourself.

Journal prompts to think about a concerning issue/issues