Maybe you didn’t know, but writing can become a great source of relief for your psychological well-being. Have you ever dealt with a heavy emotional load? Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the intensity of your emotions? It is certain that life isn’t always easy, and from time to time, adverse situations affect us. These situations cause psychological stress, a type of discomfort that arises in professional, educational, and interpersonal environments as often during childhood as during adulthood. The difficulties can stem from unresolved conflicts with one’s coworkers, challenges in getting along with one’s boss, important upcoming decisions, problems with one’s significant other, and an equally long list of additional variables.
At this point in your life, you’ve probably had to confront some of these situations, so you know that there are many ways in which to act in times like these. Many are constructive, but others … aren’t so constructive.
When a stressful event takes place, it interferes with our ability to continue with our normal daily routine. We have to confront the interruption in some manner. There are many ways to do so: consulting with our friends, taking a walk, or listening to music. In this article, we want to tell you about a new tool that you might find really useful — therapeutic writing.
Therapeutic writing is a tool that can help us through adverse moments in our lives. Without a doubt, this practice can become a habit, in which case we can benefit even more from its advantages.
This begs the question, what exactly is therapeutic writing? Well, it essentially consists of writing freely about something that has occurred to you. It is a manner of reliving the complicated situation in a calmer context; for that reason, you can approach the issue with greater detachment and an increased capacity to resolve the problem.
The advantages of therapeutic writing
It has been demonstrated that writing about complex situations has positive consequences both psychologically and physically. Moving ahead, we will explain the chief advantages of therapeutic writing.
- Expression. It allows you to actively face the situation. You communicate something that is happening and how you are experiencing it. Sometimes, we would like to talk with someone about the situation, but in certain instances, that just isn’t possible. This tool permits you to express those pent-up thoughts and feelings; you only need a piece of paper and a pencil, or maybe even just your cellphone!
- Cathartic liberation. It allows you to vent your negative feelings. This is one of the principal advantages of therapeutic writing, that it allows you immediate relief in moments of high emotional intensity.
- Clarity. When we experience a lot of fear or anger, it is difficult to view our circumstances with clarity. Through writing, it is possible to observe the situation with greater lucidity. One analogy is that it is like we’re looking into a crystal ball that simulates having snow inside it. When we shake the ball, the snow doesn’t stop moving, and we can’t see the rest of the picture. Once the snow settles, it is much easier to see everything. The same thing happens with emotions.
- Divide and conquer. It allows you to see your circumstances in distinct parts, which makes them easier to resolve.
- Communication. It allows you to rehearse expressing the complex ideas that you want to communicate so that when the time comes to actually voice your opinion, you can do so in the most effective manner possible.
How do we actually write therapeutically?
Studies like those published in the magazine Advances in Psychiatric Treatment show that writing for 15 or 20 minutes three to five times per week is sufficient to obtain the full benefits of the exercise.
To carry out the task of therapeutic writing, there are many different apps for smartphones or computers. Some of them are Day One, Journey, Paper by 53, and Vent.
Of course, you can also use a pencil and paper. The important thing is that you find a method with which you feel comfortable and that allows you to utilize this tool when you need it.
And if I don’t have time?
According to the doctor Indra Cidambi, expert and pioneer in the realm of addictions, therapeutic writing is also useful for people with little spare time. She writes that one only needs two minutes per day to carry out the writing. Her specific recommendation is that you make four columns in which you respond to the following questions:
- What is bothering me? Think about the problem you’re having and try to summarize it in just one phrase.
- How am I feeling? Jot down all of the feelings that you are experiencing. Remember that it’s okay to be feeling more than one way. For example, it’s totally natural to feel both nervous AND angry.
- What measures have I taken to help myself feel better? Have you tried a strategy to resolve the problem? What results has the strategy led to?
- How do I plan to resolve the problem? Whether you have already taken steps to solve the problem or you haven’t yet started to address it, this is the time to consider new solutions. Write down your action plan in one sentence.
Therapeutic writing is a powerful technique that is especially useful when used in tandem with formal therapeutic intervention. You can fit in your daily writing even if you only have two minutes to spare!
Through the platform of online therapy by chat, there are many ways to apply the comforting process of therapeutic writing. Are you motivated to try it?
