Writing to Heal

One great avenue to explore when adding to your collection of effective healing tools is writing. Why might writing be appealing to you? I'm glad you asked! The list of positives can be quite long. Let's take a look at some of them here.

Sometimes, the idea of talking to someone about what's going on in your head can be intimidating to the point of deterring you from getting help. If you're not ready to talk to someone, you don't have to put your healing on hold. Pick up a pen or power up your computer and start escorting your thoughts and feelings to the outside world. When you are feeling more confident about where you stand on your issues, talk to someone. You may even want to keep your notes handy for reference.

Unlike scheduled appointments or support group meetings, writing can take place on your schedule. If you're consistently waking up at 3:00 am with your thoughts weighing heavily on you, it might be a good time to write.

While you may decide that writing is going to be your sole outlet for healing to start (or to end), it also makes an excellent companion to therapy, coaching or support group work. Some coaches (myself included) may give you writing exercises to complete as you work on your healing goals. In addition, writing can be a good before- or after-session exercise. Beforehand, you can organize your thoughts and feelings so you can get the most of out of your paid sessions. Afterward, you can write down the salient points you pulled out of your session and reflect on them.

Ritual is an important part of healing. It involves creating a set of actions that ties you to something you value. The ritual allows you to achieve closure and move on from what you have lost, while at the same time, honouring its memory and staying connected to it in a healthy way. Rituals can be conducted daily, weekly or at moments of need. Writing can be ritualized in the same way other actions can. Setting aside specific times to sit down, be calm and focused, and immerse yourself in your written output can bring order and relief.

Writing can be done anywhere and you can take it with you. It's a quiet activity, it doesn't require equipment or (much) money, it doesn't take up a lot of space, and it doesn't require special skills. Essentially, you could carry a small notebook and pen with you and write on the train or bus on the way home from work or school. Really, if the inspiration hits you, all you need to do is pull out your paper and write down what's going on before going back to doing what you were doing. And you don't need to be Shakespeare to get the job done.

Interested in taking a short, self-guided writing e-course?

I offer a variety at Choosing Life - The Write Way on topics of loss, healing, identity, freedom, and more.