Hi friends,

June was rough. When I started revisiting my journals for my prose collection earlier this year, I knew it would be a roller coaster. However, I didn’t realize it would unravel me—the kind of unraveling where I had to bump my therapy sessions back up to once a week instead of twice a month. It wasn’t enough; I also had to get off social media for two weeks because everything was upsetting me.

After revisiting years and years of Past Me, I had to remind myself that I am currently living in the present. Everything that happened was over. Whether you’re writing a journal collection or not, I think that’s an important thing for anyone to remember: that the past may still be painful, but it’s over, and even when it doesn’t feel like it, you are literally moving forward.

Maybe June was rough for you, too. And if it was, know that you aren’t alone. Between wrestling with my past turmoil and growing angrier and angrier by the day at the News, I quickly realized I needed a break. I had to eliminate noise. I needed Fewer Things to Think About. So, I temporarily cut out social media completely—the noisiest thing of all. 

Instead, I reached for books, my bullet journal, and video games. I sat down with my gratitude journal every night and wrote out three things that made me happy and one thing I was proud of myself for doing that day. This part, my friends, is the most important: what are you PROUD of? What are some things most people don’t give you credit for? A big one for me this past month was: I am proud of myself for being vulnerable with others, even when it’s hard.

Because June was rough, I was forced to simplify my life. It made me enforce more boundaries and focus more on myself, something I don’t do enough. It inspired me to reconnect with books I’ve wanted to read and people who deserved more of my attention. Likewise, it made me reevaluate my needs in my daily life, my relationships—even my bullet journal.

Because June was rough, I needed more fresh air, so I went for more walks. I discovered a small park three blocks from my apartment that I didn’t know existed after living here for 3 years. Now I walk there before starting my workday and sit on a bench in the shade, sometimes empty-handed, sometimes with my notebook and pen. It is often empty, peaceful, and quiet, and I can pretend I’m deep in a forest somewhere.

You know what, friends? Maybe June wasn’t so bad after all. 

Megan