What to journal and track during your loc deadlocks journey…

As with any new journey – or even when we have already started a journey – there are moments where we need to reflect on what is right for us and if we need to change anything to grow. This also applies to our loc and natural hair journey. It is a deeply personal experience and we all have our own intentions and expectations. On a practical level, we may also have a lot of different sources of information on how to take care of our natural hair/locs and not everything will work for us. So, this is one great reason why tracking and journaling our experiences is a good tool. This can be done from the very beginning or even after many months/years – it is never too late to start journaling and tracking our hair experiences.

Experimenting and making the journey our own! One of the things I remember enjoying at the very start of my loc journey was the amount of experimenting that I did – with DIY products, with loc products others recommended, with how to add moisture to my locs etc. I tried SO many things out… and honestly, it would have been a lot easier (and cheaper!) to have tracked the process and to be more organised about what did/didn’t work for me. Some products also take time to see results so having too many things going on (without recording anything) was probably not the best thing to do – but it was fun!

More than just hair? OK, so I know everyone is different and some people will say Hair today, gone tomorrow – no big deal. I understand and love that some people feel this way. But then there are also many people who feel that their natural hair/loc experience is more about Self growth/love in different ways too. Some will say that it is spiritual. Some start their natural hair and loc journey thinking that It’s just hair and then slowly it evolves to be more – There are so many paths! No rights/wrongs. The beauty is that by journaling and tracking it, we get to experience it fully… Whether it is just on a practical level (wash day, products etc) or if we choose to dive into different areas that may not have anything to do with hair only (our spiritual rituals, learning about product ingredients etc).

JOURNAL, TRACK & REFLECT…

The journey with your loctician

Not everyone will use a loctitician – But if you do, this is for you! For starters, you can journal/track how you found your loctician in the first place and what your first experience was.

Choosing the right loctician is vital – Obviously, we want to have someone who knows what they are doing, that is important. But what about the other factors?

This will be personal to you – Factors like:

• Do I like the energy of this person who I am going to be spending time/energy/money with?
• Do I trust that they know what they are sharing with me?
• Do I like their energy on my crown?
• Can I see my Self investing my time/energy/money regularly with them?

Reflect o this, trust your intuition too! And you can also journal/track the process in your own loc journal and planner.

Building a bond and friendship that lasts. It is worth investing some time and energy to find the right person before you start your locs. Many people who have used a loctician have told me that over the years, the bond grows. Sessions can almost feel like therapy sessions for some people as the routine/rituals grow. For me, I also see this as an energy exchange on the Crown Chakra, a space where it can be a sacred space for sharing much more than hair. Use your experiences to journal and track your growth, not just about your locs.

Your Self-care routines

Be honest – How well are you taking care of your Self? Many of us will admit that we could be doing more to recharge, relax and care for our body-mind-soul. We lead busy lives and most of us don’t add our Self on the to-do list.

One thing that the natural hair and loc journey taught me was to create Self-care routines. Whether it is about taking the time to wash my locs and do a scalp massage or to try just a few minutes to breathe deeply throughout the day. It has taught me to be patient with my locs and how every stage revealed another side of my Self. It built my confidence and showed me that Self-care is about Self love – Recharging our own energy so that we can also show up in the world fully!

What is your natural hair and loc journey revealing to you about your Self-care? Maybe this is a great time to add simple practical routines to our daily life!

✅ Some things to journal and track each week and month:

• Your loc length
• Your loc routines
• Your low wash days
• Your daily and weekly Self-care routines/rituals
• Goals and inspirations for your locs and health
• Affirmations for different areas of your life
• DIY and shop products
• Exercise and sleep routines
• Water intake
• Daily vitamins and supplements

Your energy and confidence levels

Along with Self-care, there is the topic of how our energy and confidence levels change. We learn more about our Self through embracing our natural journey. It is all connected!

✅ Some reflections to journal and track along the way:

• How confident do/did I feel at the start of my natural hair and loc journey?
• What/who has inspired me to embrace my Self more?
• Where is my support system as I learn about my Self and my natural hair/loc journey?
• How sensitive am I to energy?
• And how are my energy levels affected by different things in my daily life?
• Do I trust my intuition?

Your personal Self-transformations

This is also connected to the last 2 points – What transformations are you going through? With all the different Self-care and awareness tools that we may be using, we may also start to see other transformations take place… in our locs, our natural hair health, food, health and more!

✅ Some reflections for Self-awareness:

• What has been triggering me throughout my natural hair/loc journey?
• Am I confronting or changing any limiting Self-beliefs that I previously had?
• What is my definition of beauty now? In comparison to before my natural hair and loc journey?
• What other areas of my life have been affected by my hair changes?
• What am I inspired to do differently now? In my goals and dreams?

Your style inspirations

This is where the fun starts! How can you express your Self more? For me, my loc journey (especially during the teenage stage) was a time when I started to experiment more with headwraps and loc accessories. Maybe at different points of your natural hair and loc journey, you felt drawn to different things to try with your style?

This is a great way to journal/track through pictures! Keep photos of your Self and your style as you move through each month – to track your healthy hair, loc progress and length check AND your new style inspirations. You could do a vision board of styles that inspire you too!

✅ Reflect on building your personal style:

• Who inspires me when it comes to style and expression?
• What colours am I attracted to and why?
• What simple things can I add to your daily life that make you feel beautiful?
• How can I express who I am through my style, projects, daily routines, work and life?
• How do I want to show up in the world?

As you can see, there are so many possibilities of things that we can journal and track through our natural hair and loc journey – Feel free to leave a comment on what you enjoy exploring! Don’t forget to get your free gift and check out our Holistic Locs planner too – See below. Enjoy!