A Journaling Guide for Your “Mental Load”

Leave a comment
A Journaling Guide for Your “Mental Load”

The invisible weight

Does your mind ever feel… heavy?

It isn’t just “busy.”

It is heavy.

It is heavy with the invisible list. It is heavy with the spinning list. It is heavy with the endless list of “to-dos,” “to-remembers,” and “to-worries.”

What is your Mental Load?

It is remembering to book the dentist. It is worrying if that email sounded too harsh. It is planning the meal while you are in a work meeting. It is the 3 AM wake-up call. You realized you forgot to sign the school form.

It is the silent, exhausting work that no one sees.

As a faith-filled woman, it can feel like a failure.

“Where is my peace?” “Why can’t I just ‘cast my cares’ on Him?”

We feel guilty for the load. Then we feel guilty for not being able to let it go.

Come… Burdened

I want to remind you of a beautiful, freeing invitation from Jesus.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

mATTHEW 11:28

Notice the order. He didn’t say, “Sort your burdens and then come to me.”

He said, “Come… burdened.”

Your journal is the sacred, practical space where you can do this. It is where you take the “spin” in your head. It is where you set the heavy things down. You do it one by one.

yOUR PROMPTS

Prompts for Your Heavy Mind

Use these prompts to empty the backpack.

  • The “Mind-to-Page” Release: “This is not a ‘to-do’ list. It is a ‘brain dump.’ For 5 minutes, I will write down EVERYTHING spinning in my head. Every task. Every name. Every worry. I will get it OUT of my mind and onto the page.”
  • The “Whose Is It?” Sort: “Look at the list. Now ask: What on this list is mine to do? What on this list is God’s to hold?”
  • The “One Thing” Surrender: “Lord, of all these ‘heavy’ things, the one I am intentionally handing over to You right now is…”
  • The “Next Step”: “With Your grace, the one small, practical thing on my list that I can do to feel lighter is…”

yOUR ACTION POINT

Your Action Point: The “Two-Column” Prayer

  1. Draw a simple line down the middle of a new journal page.
  2. Left Side Title: “My Steps.”
    • List the 1-3 practical things you need to do. (for example, “Call the dentist.”)
  3. Right Side Title: “God’s Holding Space.”
    • List the worries and outcomes you are surrendering. (for example, “The result of the medical test.” “My child’s happiness.”)
  4. Pray.

This simple, visual act is a prayer. It is you partnering with God.

It makes your “heavy” mind feel held.

With care, Debbera