Shadow Work: The Basics
Disclaimer: This post about shadow work is for educational purposes only and does not replace mental health counseling
We all have a shadow. I’m not talking about the shadow that we see when the sun hits us just right. I’m talking about the shadow that is inside us, the one that is a part of our personality.
Everyone carries a dark side, if they want to admit it or not. I totally get that this sounds a bit intimidating but by exploring this dark side of ourselves, you can drastically heal each part of yourself.
Now where does the “work” come in? And what exactly is the “work”? Well, the best way to do shadow work is through journaling. Our minds tend to go a million miles a minute and it gets so hard to organize our thoughts and think clearly. So with journaling, we are able to slowly get our thoughts down on paper and truly see every thought right in front of us.
By doing shadow work, you are integrating the aspects of your unconscious psyche into your conscious experience. With this, you can then have the positive aspects of the shadow express themselves.
Here’s a Little History on Shadow Work
The concept was first created by Carl Jung, a 20th-century psychologist. often referred to as Jungian psychology, the word ‘shadow’ refers to hidden parts of our being. This may be parts of ourselves we try to repress because they make us feel ashamed, weak or wounded, especially those sides of us that we don’t show society.
But what if we just ignore this dark and twisty side of us? By doing this, life will become one-sided. Passion will be limited and those deep-rooted issues that we all have will start interrupting our life more and more. When we focus only on the “light”, it doesn’t reach to the depths of our being. Transformation, which so many of us are looking for, does not come from a place of denial. It comes from a place of acceptance.
As I mentioned in the disclaimer at the beginning of this post, this post does not replace mental health counseling if it is needed. (I say “needed” lightly because I feel that therapy is beneficial for everyone) But here’s the beauty of shadow work, you don’t necessarily have to do it by yourself. If you’d like to have a companion to help you work through these emotions, memories and thoughts, there are a ton of great therapists out there who can assist you through this process. Always do lots of research before choosing a therapist and it could take a few tries to find a perfect match for you.
Examples of Shadow Work Journal Prompts
- Which emotions do you try to avoid and why do you try to avoid them?
- Do you project aspects of myself onto others? Are these negative or positive aspects or both?
- How judged do you feel on a daily basis? Is this imagined judgement or is it real judgement?
- Which emotion do you deal with in a destructive way? How would your life look if you didn’t do this?
- What is your take on envy? Is there a specific person that you feel especially envious towards right now?
- Describe your “can” “should” and “wills”
- What aspects of your life do you feel isolated? How do you deal with this emotion?
8. I have the same negative traits as my mother/father. For example:
9. What is one negative thing that you keep telling yourself and why do you hold onto this?
10. Why do you secretly enjoy certain people getting under your skin?
11. If you get used or taken advantage of, do you secretly enjoy it because at least you were needed?
12. Which weakness of yours actually has potential?
13. What would you tell yourself 10 years ago from now?
14. Do you confidently trust yourself?
15. When does my shadow emerge in my daily personality?
16. How long do you reflect on failures? Do you find it difficult to come to terms with failure or do you suppress this emotion?
17. Which behavior, that you are fully aware is wrong/negative do you repeat over and over again?
18. What is something that you should forgive yourself for? And why haven’t you forgiven yourself yet?
19. What are some unhealthy attachments that you hold onto? (places, things, relationships, people etc)
20. How do you show up for others but fall short for yourself?
When doing shadow work and revealing our inner shadow especially for the first time, it can get overwhelming. Take it slow. This is an ongoing process. Do not do multiple prompts none sitting. Just take one question, observe how it makes you feel, listen to your body, start writing down your thoughts and really sit with it for a while.
Happy healing!
Check out my other posts to help your wellness journey:
