I’ve been passionate about personal growth for around 30 years now. I’ve studied NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and am a certified life coach and hypnotherapist. I am always open to looking at new technologies. Lately I’ve come across what is known as shadow work.
Shadow work sounded esoteric and I’m always a sucker for something new and secretive, so I’ve decided to investigate it.
At its core, shadow work involves exploring the unconscious parts of yourself. This includes traits, beliefs, memories or desires that you’ve suppressed or denied because they felt unacceptable, shameful or uncomfortable. The concept of Shadow Work comes from Carl Jung, who described the “shadow” as the part of ourselves we don’t want to look at.
Why Shadow Work is Powerful for Growth
Here are some of the benefits you can hope to receive by performing shadow work.
Self-awareness
By uncovering the hidden parts of yourself, you will become more aware of your reactions, patterns and triggers. This will allow you to make more conscious decisions, instead of running on autopilot.
Emotional healing
Shadow work often brings up old wounds or repressed emotions. This is not something to try to repress but is something that will give you the chance to process. You can then easily release these emotions, rather than letting them subtly control your life.
Improved relationships
A lot of what we notice in other people is a projection of what we are expressing ourselves. When you understand your own projections (like disliking traits in others that you deny in yourself), you communicate more authentically and reduce blame or defensiveness.
Greater authenticity
You reclaim parts of yourself you may have rejected, like assertiveness, creativity, or vulnerability. This leads to a fuller, more integrated sense of self.
Less self-sabotage
This is one of the big benefits for me – removing self-sabotage. Unconscious patterns often lead to self-sabotage. For instance, we may have an unconscious fear of success. (Yes, this is a real thing). This will manifest in the sufferer finding ways to unconsciously sabotage their own success. For instance, giving up just before they are about to make a break-through. Shadow work helps bring those patterns to light so you can shift them.
It’s not always easy. The work can be messy and uncomfortable, but it’s often deeply transformative.
How to Perform Shadow Work
Are you thinking of starting shadow work yourself? Or simply curious about it in general? If that is the case here is a quick rough guide that I have researched to get you going.
Shadow work is a deeply personal process, but it can be broken down into a few simple steps.
1. Create a Safe Space (Mentally + Physically)
Shadow work can bring up some heavy stuff from the past, so here are a couple of things to help you.
Journal in a quiet, safe space. If there is nowhere quiet in your home it can be helpful to get out in nature.
Meditate or ground yourself before and after. Its important to not bring in your emotional baggage from the day. Meditating first will get you in the right state of mind. Meditating after can give you a windbreak before you revert to your normal state of mind.
Above all be gentle with yourself. You are not trying to fix anything; you are just exploring.
2. Use Prompts to Access the Shadow
Questions are a fantastic way to begin. Here are a few shadow work prompts to try journaling on.
- “What qualities in others trigger me the most? Why?”
- “What do I judge harshly in other people?”
- “What part of myself do I try to hide from others?”
- “When do I feel most insecure, and what’s underneath that feeling?”
These help you spot projections or disowned parts of yourself.
3. Look for Patterns and Triggers
Notice your emotional reactions. When you get overly emotional such as anger, jealousy, or shame. These emotions often point to shadow material. Therefore, ask yourself:
- “What about this situation feels familiar?”
- “What am I afraid others would think of me?”
4. Dialogue with the Shadow
This might sound a little odd, but bear with me. You can write a dialogue between you and the part of yourself you are exploring. Let it “speak” freely. What does your inner critic want? What is your angry side trying to protect? It might say things you don’t agree with, but that’s okay. The point is to listen, not judge.
5. Practice Self-Compassion
Instead of trying to banish the shadow, the goal is to integrate it. That means trying to understand it, give it space and make peace with it. You can even say:
“I see you. You’re part of me and that’s okay.”
Some Bonus Shadow Work Methods
Journaling
Journaling is the most common method of shadow work, especially the stream of consciousness writing. I can thoroughly recommend the practice of daily journaling, even if it is just noting down what happened that day. I will often look back on old journals and marvel at how far I have come. It’s like taking a breather from climbing the mountain and enjoying the view.
Meditation or mindfulness
Meditation or mindfulness helps with observing emotions without judgment. There is a lot I could write about meditation, but all I would say is try it.
Therapy
If you wanted to go down a more formal route you could try therapy, especially Jungian or IFS-based (Internal Family Systems). I have not tried therapy but I am told it can really deepen the shadow work.
Creative expression
A gentler way of trying shadow work is through creative expression for example art, music or poetry. These are great ways of exploring the unconscious. For me, my writing is my creative expression. I’ve written a post with 7 Reasons Why Writing is Good For You. In it I explain why this art form is so beneficial and some simple tips to get you started.
In the end, shadow work isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about becoming whole. It’s about reclaiming every part of yourself you’ve hidden, silenced, or judged and realizing that your power lies not in perfection, but in integration.
If you’re serious about personal growth, shadow work isn’t just another technique. Shadow work is a courageous act of self-honesty that can unlock real, lasting transformation. So take a deep breath, be brave and start shining a light into the corners. You might be surprised at the strength and freedom you find there.