6 minute read
GO WRITE AHEAD
WRITING TO UNCOVER YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF
by CELINE WALLACE
Photographs by JON PREMOSCH
Life is a series of positive and negative experiences, and we contain those experiences within us, which is a lot of information to hold inside. We often forget that there are many tools available to us to help us process emotions, and unlike a tropical vacation or years of therapy, not all of them are pricey. We can harness powerful tools at our fingertips, with just a pen and paper, without having to leave our living room.
Writing therapy is a brilliant way of comprehending how you became who you are today, and it doesn't have to be a dark and dreary process. It can be a wondrous journey of self-discovery— allowing you to remember your beautiful experiences thoughtfully and opening up ways of reflecting so that you can find a deeper level of understanding.
The way writing therapy works is by mining past experiences and wisdom that you already have within you, so you'll be able to heal traumas, set goals, and finally answer that question we all want to know: who am I?
Here are some different styles and techniques to get you started. They produce varying results, but all provide the same healing and reflective rewards of enhanced inspiration and added clarity to our lives. Yes, please!
Side note, all of these styles of writing therapy must be done on paper and by hand for the healing element to be effective, so I'm sorry, my laptop lovers (which is everyone these days), it's time to get a bedside notebook for this one.
BRAIN DUMPING (FOR SLEEP)
Brain dumping is like free writing, where you begin writing everything that comes to mind before bed. You continue writing every thought in your mind, even if they aren't connected until your thoughts quiet, and you have nothing left to say. The idea is to get everything out of your head and onto paper, so your mind doesn't have thoughts swirling and preventing you from sleeping.
So next time you hop into bed after a busy day, grab your notebook and write. I promise you'll be surprised at how quickly you start to relax and wind down.
MORNING PAGES (FOR CLARITY)
Morning pages are a concept created by author of The Artist's Way Julia Cameron, and done by journaling a stream-of-consciousness first thing each morning. The idea is to wake up, open your journal, and write three pages of longhand of any thoughts that come out of your head, much like Brain Dumping for sleep, but first thing in the morning.
The exercise is supposed to be a cathartic, ritualistic writing process that clears your mind, builds confidence, and creates a path for greater creativity throughout the day. “It can be a wondrous journey of selfdiscovery—allowing you to remember your beautiful experiences thoughtfully and opening up ways of reflecting so that you can find a deeper level of understanding.”
SUCCESS LOG
We are often so busy ticking off our task list that we don't stop and commend ourselves on what we've already created. I believe the reason so many people have anxiety and depression is because they aren't reflecting on the fantastic things they've accomplished already.
A success log is a notebook that will help you define your success by breaking it down into daily, weekly, and monthly activities that will compound over time. Tracking these specific wins or habits is an accountability strategy helping to achieve balance and focus on what really matters in the short run.
For example, want to improve your fitness? Track your healthy activities. Want to keep in touch with friends? Set reminders to reach out to them. It's the small things that matter and get you to where you want to be.
LETTER TO SELF
Writing a letter to yourself gives you insight and teaches you valuable life lessons that will stick with you long after you've written the letter. It's a great way to get you thinking objectively about life and where you want to be, with motivation and self-compassion, instead of feeling stuck in the moment.
You can write a letter to your future self or your past self, depending on what you would like to get out of it. In this process, ask yourself questions, like “what lessons have I learned up until this point?” You can also share your current beliefs and tell your future self about your principles or define things you want to change in the future. You'll want to hang onto these letters because they can be a good reminder and a fun belonging to reflect on.
GRATITUDE JOURNALING
Gratitude journaling, raved about by the likes of Tony Robbins and Oprah, is the habit of recording and reflecting on things (typically three) that you are grateful for on a regular basis. It's simple in the way you keep a journal with you and write down three things you're thankful for everyday. Although you can do it anytime, morning is the best. Starting your day with positive psychology—the scientific study of happiness—will train your brain to look for positives throughout the day.
I started this many years ago, and I go through waves with it, but there's one thing I know for sure, and that's I always have a much brighter day when I do it versus when I don't.
THIRD-PERSON PROBLEM SOLVING
Why is it that when other people ask for advice, we always seem to have great solutions, but when we face a similar situation, we feel stumped?
Third-person writing is a great way to find that sage advice within yourself by taking a situation and writing about it from conception to creation from a third-person perspective. You approach your problem from a third person POV and narrate the story using pronouns including: he, she, his, and her.
This process allows you to detach from the story and reflect on it objectively, so you can line up the facts and see all sides of the story to evaluate the best course of action. It's a great reminder that we have all the answers we need within us, even though we often ask others for their advice.
HAPPINESS LIST
How can we create a happy life if we don't know what would make us happy? Sometimes we float through our days, months, and years, not seemingly as happy as we could be. The problem is, most of us don't know what that would look like.
A happiness list is waking up first thing in the morning and asking ourselves, “What would make me happy today?” And writing down a list of tangible activities that could be accomplished that day. Remember to keep it actionable. Things like winning the lottery, flying to the Caribbean, or meeting your soulmate are probably not actionable tools of the day. Keep it simple; for example, some of the repeat suggestions on my list usually include going for a walk in nature, calling a friend, buying coffee from my favorite shop, or spending the morning away from my phone. *
