INFJ’s must develop daily self-care practices to be healthy, in both mind and body.
Being an INFJ means spending too much time in your head and in your heart. Intuitive, empathic, highly sensitive introverts are always open to the feelings and energy of others, and the INFJ is constantly absorbing energy and feelings from others, which can be very overwhelming for us. When we get emotional or sensitive to the energies and emotions that come swirling through us, our brain does something sort-of like a “malfunction.”
INFJ personality types truly have a need for deep understanding in all topics we pursue, and then we have to judge everything as it comes in, and that can mean a deep dive, down a rabbit hole, for an indefinite amount of time. When we get caught up on something that we can’t use our intuition and empathy to figure out, our wheels start spinning. If we are unsure of how we are feeling, we can get stuck on that wheel for an indefinite amount of time. When the wheel spins so fast, it can be hard to jump off.
It is during this “malfunction” that the INFJ will start using Introverted intuition (Ni- their dominant function) combined with Introverted thinking (Ti- their tertiary function) and completely bypass the Extroverted feeling (Fe- their auxiliary function that supports the dominant function) and the Introverted Sensing (Se- their inferior function that can be a source of failure or a gateway into the unconscious). Introverted intuition (Ni) and Extroverted feeling (Fe) are the main brain functions of the INFJ, (Ni-primary/ Fe- auxiliary) work in tandem, so when the INFJ brain malfunctions, we suddenly become aware that we have been sitting in one position, locked in the confines of the “walls” of our brain, while our body has been completely forgotten, and we did not even notice that our bodies were feeling bad. And we are caught in a loop of intuition and thinking.
As an INFJ, these are the rituals and practices that I incorporate into my daily life:
– Prioritize yourself and your health over others. (It may sound selfish, but it is not! It is responsible… stop letting people pour their problems into you, especially those who don’t reciprocate. You are not a doormat! You can’t let every single person you know dump on you because it fills you up with their emotions. Draw a line by saying, “Hey, let’s chat about this later, not right now. Thanks.” Then, change the subject.🧙)
– Prioritize deep self-awareness through inner child and shadow work processes to revisit your childhood and reevaluate situations from your childhood. (We really don’t know everything that we think we know about the situations that occurred in our childhood. Exploring these things lead to freedom, and is a sure-fire way to get to the root of the things.)
– Practice self- care routines and rituals that includes mental and physical types. Physical activities improve Se function and allow you to get out of your head and experience living in your body, such as gardening, swimming, yoga, or just stretching in the sun. Mental routines can include journaling, creating art, or meditating. (This is crucial. Get outside of your head and into your body. Feel everything you can feel.)
– Be authentic and stand in your power. Be exactly who you feel you are intended to be, after so many years of people telling you that you are too much, or not enough, too sensitive, or too… anything. Fuck them! You are amazing! (Don’t let anyone make you feel “smaller” than you are, and NEVER allow people to tell you who or what you should be. Let people judge who they think you are. Most wouldn’t be able to understand you, even if you broke it down into bite-sized pieces for them. Let them choke.)
– Be unapologetically happy to say “no,” or to leave a situation, and not feel bad about it. (Stay strong, and have boundaries drawn in concrete, rather than sand. We try to fill our plates with the problems of so many other people, that it gets ridiculously old. Seriously. Say no. Leave.)
– Have gratitude for each day and a positive mindset. (No one should be able to dim your shine, and you have to make sure that you are not keeping yourself dim in a world that needs your light!)
– Take time daily for solitude and recollection. (A “Sacred Space” is essential for the INFJ personality type, a place where they can follow their dreams and explore all the questions of their heart and mind in isolation, with no interference.)
– Cultivate a daily journaling/ art journaling practice to clarify thinking and to use both hemispheres of the brain. It is also beneficial to write it all down, and get it out of your head. Or draw it intuitively, and then analyze what you draw, as if it were a mirror. (Art has a way of releasing emotions, and reflecting your emotional state back to you.)
– Listen to lots and lots of music. (Life is so much more bearable with music. INFJ’s have a particular knack for matching the energy of a song to their current mood. Put it on repeat, and dance and sing while you work, clean, cook, etc… MINDSET is EVERYTHING!)
– Look for the silver lining in every situation, and always try to find humor, even if you have to go looking for it on SnapChat! Laugh every time you can! (I have been saved from some of my saddest moments by laughing at myself!)
– Join INFJ groups on social media just for the memes! 😂 (I couldn’t laugh at myself so readily, nor as easily, until I found out that the way I move through this world is NORMAL for my type. INFJ’s are low-key comedians! And downright funny!)
– Release toxicity (people, places, and things) that no longer serve you. (I am not saying to ignore conflicts by checking out, with no conflict resolution. However, leaving something that is no longer leading you towards your greatest potential and your highest good in order to climb your mountain is a good thing. Be a GOAT! 🐐)
– Stand up for yourself like a LION! When someone has crossed a boundary, let them know! Who cares if they get mad?!? (With INFJ personality type, many people will mistake your character as weak because you are accommodating and attentive to other’s feelings. INFJ introversion may also keep you from confronting people about their shitty character, as they are taking advantage of your kindness. This is another possible reason why people may mistake you for “something else.” If you were your “advocate” in this situation, what would you do? DO IT FOR YOURSELF THEN!)
– Practice subconscious mind training activities to recognize when you’re in a loop, and practice redirecting your brain to stop the loop! (Sometimes, it can be really hard to stop the loop, but if you practice working with your subconscious mind, you will get better at controlling the length of it, or you can at least recognize the patterns so that you can have brain redirection activities ready on- hand. (There are apps for that.)
– Learn about topics that interest you with reckless abandonment, but don’t forget to feel into them! (I recommend studying personality types, spirituality, (in its many forms), cultures, Tarot and Oracle, and Astrology. I have found these things to be priceless tools for guidance along my life journey, and also great ways to get out of my head. Sometimes, I need a kick in the butt!)
– Get out into nature and witness her beauty, and restorative qualities, every chance you get! (Mother Nature has a way of renewing the soul, clearing the energies, and charging your batteries- as well as peaking your interests, inspiring creativity, and allowing for intuitive communication with the trees and the sky, the Creator, and all things sacred. )
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These are the things that work for me.
♥️ Shilo
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