Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawnti Refuge.
Hi Shawnti, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I am an entrepreneur and work a full-time job, along with being a wife & guardian of a toddler. I was born & raised in Beaumont, TX & now reside in Houston, TX. I began creating guided journals after I was diagnosed with Severe Depression and Anxiety in 2018.
Before I started using guided journals, I was living life, but not the life I wanted. I was busy taking care of family & work, but not myself. I was mentally & physically tired all the time but felt I had to keep pushing because that’s what a wife & mother was supposed to do, right?
In the meantime, while “living life”, my inner child started acting out. She was demanding attention, but at the time I didn’t know that. All the issues that I buried needed to be addressed and I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I became sad, angry, mean, irritable, and crying continuously.
I eventually sought professional help but was provided drugs. I didn’t want to be medicated, I wanted to heal. My therapist encouraged me to start journaling to deal with the issues I had buried and forgotten about that had started to resurface. I tried regular journaling where I would just write in a notebook, but that didn’t work for me.
I needed guidance in my writing to stick to the issues and work through them, one at a time. This is where I found guided journaling. Guided journaling helps you commit to mindfulness and can help you improve mental health through structured, reflective writing prompts, guided questions, and affirmations.
Since guided journaling helped me, I had to bring mental health awareness to the forefront and encourage others to begin their healing process through guided journaling.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely no it hasn’t been a smooth road.
That’s mainly because when I first started out, I was trying to be Super Woman and do everything from scratch, by myself. Once I came to the realization that I wasn’t able to get the business set up on my own, I reached out for help, but to the wrong people.
I was scammed out of thousands of dollars in the beginning, so I had to literally start all over from the beginning to get my business where it needs to be.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Shawnti Refuge Journals?
Shawnti Refuge Journals began as a personal wellness journey for me. After a diagnosis of Severe Depression & Anxiety in 2019, it was time to do something different & WITHOUT prescribed medication.
After months of therapy, trial & error, tears & fits, these guided journals were created & have served the purpose of me reaching my wellness goals. Yes, I still use guided journals! Now, I’m sharing the ones that I created with the world.
My mission is to provide a safe outlet with guided journals to people searching for healing. Shawnti Refuge Journals exist to love and empower those who recognize the essential role that journaling plays in their self-care journey. I am eager to include & share with you in my learning & encourage you to grow right alongside me through guided journaling.
I am not a therapist. I am not perfect. I’m not an expert on any level. I am; however, someone who made the choice to overcome obstacles in my life, and I love to help others also reach their goals through guided journaling.
I create guided journals to help with self-esteem, self-love, self-care, self-awareness, anxiety, grief prayer, gratitude, affirmations, manifestation, relationships, anger management, grief, & finally releasing past baggage & traumas.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson that I have learned is to give myself the same grace as I give others. Giving yourself grace is permission to forgive your mistakes, lapses in judgment, and hurtful behavior because no one is perfect.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@shawntirefugejournals.com
- Website: shawntirefugejournals.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawntirefugejournals/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shawntirefugejournals
- Twitter: twitter.com/@srefugejournals
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCphZdqbNfPI0wwCgFX8IwRQ
